Chaos Theory
by Shen Gong Who
Summary: 120 miles off the coast of Costa Rica, the prehistoric jungle is once again thriving. Jurassic World, a popular tourist destination is prepping for it's newest attraction - a pack of Velociraptors. Their newest handler has no experience with dinosaurs and Morebucks International seems devastatingly close to engineering their own dinosaur assets.
1. Chapter 1

**In a shitty story I started a while back - that I'm nowhere near ready to post and probably never will cause both I and my work suck – I gave Blossom a career in the paleontology field. My mom put on** _ **Jurassic World**_ **the other night and I came up with this. The Jurassic Park AU no one wanted.**

 **Sorry not sorry.**

 **For some reason FF deleted or changed random stuff from the first chapter. They were little things but it annoyed me and I had to fix them. Happy Star Wars Day! May the Fourth be with You!**

* * *

The clicking of heels on the linoleum floors echoed through the empty hall. Click, clack, click, clack. The only other sound that could be heard was the gust of air being thrust through the glass doors sliding open almost too slowly. A tall, copper haired woman picked up her speed to a near sprint, but with each step it felt as if she was running the opposite way on a walking sidewalk, she seemed no closer to her destination.

"Did they-" the woman began but any sentence she had formulated stopped at the sight before her. A sea of white-coats had crowded around the small incubator in the middle of the room. Some had propped themselves up on the backs of others just to get a peek inside.

No no no no no.

The woman squeezed her way through the masses, attempting and possibly failing to make a path for herself. Everyone in the room was too engrossed with the ring of eggs situated in the incubator.

No no no no no.

With a huff, she may have purposely stepped on several toes to part the white sea of lab coats. It happened. It really happened. Acknowledging who was forcing her way through, many of the scientists backed up to allow her to press herself up against the glass. It happened. She took in a slow, shaky breath before reaching her hand out to lay upon said glass. She had vetoed the creation of this paddock for the past two and a half years, yet before her was the product of an override. The Board of Trustees had gotten their wish.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" a voice asked but the woman ignored it, ignored all the voices exchanging thoughts on the new addition to their prehistoric family. The woman could only picture the pocket-sized disasters blinking their amber eyes up at her as they backed her into a corner. No matter how hard she fought, she had brought a pack of carnivores into her park. What had she done?

"What have we done?" she whimpered, her voiced drowned out by the sound of everyone patting themselves on the back.

"Sweetheart, you okay?"

The woman spun around, nearly giving herself whiplash in the process. Common sense told her to congratulate him. He was lead on this project. After a few years of research and development, they had succeeded in the creation of what would soon be four healthy, man-eating catastrophes. But her gut told her to be wary. This was not a success. This was an omen. Glancing over her shoulder back at the eggs the woman let out a sigh.

"I'm fine Father, it's just we have yet to find trainers for the new assets. No one has passed our evaluations." By passing their evaluations she meant she wanted to delay finding a trainer as long as possible to the point where no one would want the job and eventually the project would be cancelled. Sadly, the Board of Directors had more say than she did. Even without trainers, the BoT (or the Board of Twits as she lovingly refers to them in her head) gave the Park the a-okay to go ahead with the apex predator exhibits. Operations Manager be damned.

The woman had several interested in the openings until it was reiterated that the trainers would work with carnivores, not herbivores. Half of the prospects had walked. Half of the half still left, dropped out when they saw their quite hefty paychecks. Apparently it was not enough for someone dealing with predators. The handful that was left after all of that either were nowhere near qualified or their interviews were horrid. One guy had worn khaki shorts to his interview.

It was over Skype.

"You'll find someone trust me. Mayor found us when he was looking for someone crazy enough to bring dinosaurs back to life."

Unlocking her tablet, the woman added visiting the Asset Control Unit to her checklist for the day. She needed to ensure they had come up with plans A-Z in case something went horribly wrong with the new additions. She had already placed orders in for new equipment just in case of an asset out of containment, more lethal ammunition. The park throughout its early years had simple to fix asset out of containment scares. Nothing would go wrong under her watch. She had a park and its patrons to protect.

* * *

Entering the control room, Blossom let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding. A pack! They were adding a pack of dinosaurs into one paddock! When she had taken over as Operations Manager she hadn't expected they would resort to adding multiple highly dangerous creatures in one exhibit. All other apex predators were isolated. She remembered the dreaded meeting. Her father had come with her, being the head geneticist and her mother being the lawyer/advisor to the CEO (read: the CEO) had already been seated at the long conference table. The Board of Twits had filtered in one by one and the small man holding the title of CEO had all but skipped in, armed with a jar of pickles.

They began discussing the slight dip in profits during the recent years compared to when the park first opened. The park itself originally had started when the small man before her came up to her father with a crazy idea. He showed him a mosquito encased inside of a piece of amber. He then went on to explain his family believed the mosquito had bitten a dinosaur before becoming trapped by sap. The man asked if her father would extract the DNA inside of the mosquito to create a dinosaur for him. When her father had seemed hesitant, Mayor explained money wasn't an issue, he'd fund it all. From there the park grew to the multi-billion dollar corporation it was today.

The exhibits just weren't cutting it anymore. The Board of Twits wanted "bigger", "scarier" and "more badass". They had a PowerPoint presentation laying out several dinosaurs they (and all the single share shareholders who send in their yearly votes) were interested in – such as the Allosaurus, the Carnotaurus, and the Velociraptor. The Board debated for over an hour between the Allosaurus and the Velociraptor. One half wanted to know if some paleontologists theory of pack mentality was true while the other half were fans of _The Lost World_. Eventually her parents had ended the debate, her father wanting to test out if Velociraptors hunted in packs.

That day will always be seared into her mind.

"Your phone has been ringing on and off for the past hour."

Bl, turned towards whoever just spoke and saw a mop of brown hair. She was not in the mood for people, especially people named Mitch.

"Can we disconnect the phones? If it's important they can call my cell."

"Not sure that's how it works Boss." He cackled. With slow strides, she headed towards the cackling brunet who passed over a laminated folder. "Mayor should be in within the hour so you guys can talk about whatever it is you important people talk about. And when I say Mayor I mean your mom." Blossom let out a small smile before noticing a red blip on the control room's screen which displayed the whole park.

"What's wrong in the Gyrosphere?" Her eyes roamed over the screen trying to find a video feed of what was occurring.

Clicking a few buttons on his computer's touch-screen, an enlarged feed of the Gyrosphere was displayed on the control room's much larger screen. An ACU van was parked and a tall, brunette stood beside it, a tranquilizer gun strapped over one shoulder and a Parasaurolophus laid on the ground in front of her. A Mobile Veterinarian Unit had sped into the video feed and a veterinarian flew out of the passenger side door. Mitch raised the volume on the radio feed. The veterinarian yelled out for her assistant to grab several things while the woman from ACU began setting up the medical tent.

Blossom's phone chirped, signaling she had received an email and the woman was torn between figuring out what was wrong with one of her assets and reading whatever had been sent to her. Unlocking her phone, the woman ignored the email's notification and dialed a number she knew by heart.

"What's up Commander?"

"BC what's wrong with the Parasaurolophus?" the woman on the screen looked up as if she could see them in the control room and saluted.

"Hey Big Brother."

"Buttercup, what is wrong with the Parasaurolophus?" Blossom reiterated, trying to see what was going on but her sight was impaired by the medical tent. Her eyes scanned the other feeds for a camera catching what was occurring from a different angle.

"Passed out, possibly heat exhaustion?" Buttercup shrugged, adjusting her hat, "Not too hot out today though… well compared to normal Central American weather." The veterinarian hissed something out that Blossom couldn't catch but she watched the brunette's reaction. It wasn't good. The woman's shoulders tensed, "Uh Commander, they need to bring in the Parasaurolophus."

Gripping her phone tighter, Blossom asked for her to hand the phone over to the vet. Buttercup shook her head, "Need to help them get it into the MVU, I will call you back when we get her to the lab. Why not go get an actual breakfast because a parfait is not actual food? Maybe have a nice smoothie as well? Mom will be here soon, go read over your numbers, your pie charts, whatever it is you business nerds do. I _will_ call you before your meeting with Mom, relax, the park has only been open for an hour and a half. Also, tell Mitchelson he owes me twenty bucks." Blossom watched as her sister began clicking a few buttons on her phone before barking out orders.

One hour Buttercup. Otherwise she was coming down to the lab herself.

"If anything happens I'll be in my office, I have several missed calls." Blossom said coldly but Mitch knew it meant to watch _every_ video feed for the Parasaurolophus. Not even ten am and it was already the day from hell. Maybe she would take up her sister's thought on having a second breakfast. Some delicious artery clogging bacon, fluffy scrambled eggs, and a nice thick slice of cheese sandwiched between toast slathered in butter sounded wonderful right now. The moment she sat down behind her desk, both her computer and phone pinged.

What happened now?

She had a few unread emails from HR about possible job candidates and if she wanted to meet with them. A few were from the Board of Twits asking her questions about the new asset. One was from Mayor. He knew how to send an email?

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Barney Mayor

 **Subject:** Please Review

 **Attached:** We need him (VID)

I found this and thought why not hire him as a handler? Tell me what you think.

Mayor

* * *

Clicking on the attachment, a video popped upon, the first shot being of a beautiful sunset where hues of reds, yellows, and oranges blended into one another. The silhouette of a lioness ran towards the setting sun in the distance, followed by another lioness. It was gorgeous. The savannah looked so peaceful compared to the shitstorm of a morning she was having. Maybe she could book a flight there and relax as the clouds drifted over head. The silhouette of a man came into view of the camera. He held his arms out wide, basking in the warm glow of sunset. A patch of grass nearby rustled causing Blossom to grip her phone tighter. What was the man doing just standing there in the open? A third lioness sprung from the grass, leaping towards the man. Though instead of attacking, the lioness propped her front legs on his shoulders, as if she were hugging him.

What?

The setting then switched to a man with shoulder length auburn hair wearing a faded red Henley. He smirked at the camera – which did not cause Blossom to take a sharp breath in – before calling out for one of the lionesses. She was gorgeous, her golden-brown fur looked inviting, tempting Blossom to reach out and pet her. She barely made out with the man said before the lioness opened her mouth wide. Once again, Blossom found herself bracing for impact as if she were the one in danger. The man reached into his back pocket for something Blossom couldn't make out but then he did the dumbest thing Blossom had ever seen. He had put his head basically inside the lioness' mouth. She wanted to look away from what she knew was soon to be his last breath but she couldn't she wanted to know what happened to him. The man began to brush the teeth of the lioness, humming a tune to calm down either the lioness or the viewer. She had just watched someone stick his head in a lion's mouth. Was this man insane?!

The setting shifted a few more times, showing this daredevil interreacting with different animals on the Serengeti; giraffes, wildebeests, gazelles, he even rode an elephant. Most of the clips showed him interacting with the lionesses. The first clip that showed the male lion had Blossom gripping onto the arms of her chair. The alpha would not take kindly to some outsider interacting with his pride, he'd see it as a challenge. The lion let out a terrifying roar before plopping itself down in front of the man, nudging its head against his legs.

When the video ended she quickly began typing out a reply. Who was this man? How did he get these animals to accept him? Millions of questions sped through her mind. What made him want to stick his head inside of a lion's mouth?

* * *

 **To:** Barney Mayor

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** RE: Please Review

Mayor,

After careful consideration, I would like to have more information about the individual in the video before going through with the hiring process. What are his credentials? Does he know anything about handling extinct animals? What is his name? I would gladly read over his resume and go forward with an interview, if he is a suitable candidate.

We can talk more about this later,

Blossom Utonium

* * *

The moment the small man stepped out of his helicopter, Blossom regretted ending her email saying they could talk about it later. All Mayor wanted to do was talk about the mystery man in the video. The entire elevator ride was spent with him wondering if the man would help them train the new assets. At least in her car she could hand him a tablet, distracting him with some app.

"Is it me or is it really hot out today?" her mother asked, pulling her dark red hair up into a messy ponytail, her curls cascading down.

"You've been in the AC too long." Blossom said, climbing into her car. Instead of blasting the AC, she rolled down the windows, "Might as well enjoy the somewhat cool temperature."

Her mother sent her a glare, "79 degrees should never be considered cool temperatures." Blossom chuckled, handing over the laminated folder as she sped out of the parking garage.

"Stocks this quarter have been on the rise we are up 3.2% as of right now. Attendance has been steadily increasing and we estimate ticket sales will continue to escalate as we begin to promote the new assets more and more. I forwarded you the ads Marketing has come up with and starred my personally favorites. They want to run commercials on-"

"Can we go see the dinosaurs in the river? I love that one." Mayor interjected. "I have my lifejacket with me." The two women in the front seats looked down at their outfits, they hadn't been expecting going to an exhibit where you had to kayak. Blossom could swing by the employee district, grab a set of clothes for her and her mother to wear on the attraction.

"Wouldn't you rather ride the Gyrosphere." Her mother started but at the mention of the Gyrosphere, Blossom ignored the rest of the conversation. The Parasaurolophus! How could she forget about the Parasaurolophus?! Right, a guy sticking his head in a lion's mouth.

"Sorry but do you mind if I make a quick call?" Her mother nodded and Mayor went back to playing whatever game she had on her tablet. She clicked the phone symbol on her steering wheel and said to call BC's work number.

"Morning Commander-in-Fossils." Her mother tutted at the tone of her second daughter's voice.

"Good morning sweetheart."

"Am I on speaker phone?" Buttercup asked, her voice distorted slightly by background noise on her end.

"About this morning." Blossom started, glancing at her mother out of the corner of her eyes, "Did breakfast go well?"

Buttercup mumbled the question again to herself, but after a few moments said, "Right! Yes, breakfast went well. And by went well I mean we know what's wrong." Blossom stopped short as her mother frantically began asking what was wrong with the park. Did her sister not understand code?! Of course she did! They did it all the time to keep from getting in trouble.

"The Parasaurolophus is fine, just upset. Her _child"_ Blossom could hear the emphasis on the word, "was taken in for checkups yesterday and the Parasaurolophus is missing her." Blossom sighed with relief, it wasn't too bad. The checkups would wrap up around noon. Some of the older dinosaurs in the park adopted the younger ones as their own, teaching them how to adapt to life outside the nursery. "Did you not get my messages?"

"No sorry, I got distracted by a video Mayor sent me-"

"WE SHOULD HIRE HIM!" Again, they had no clue what his name was. Buttercup began asking something Blossom couldn't make out. "I'll forward it to you later. Can you stop by Bubbles and pick her up for lunch? We're going to be on one of the attractions."

"As the Commander wishes." Sometimes she wished she was an only child.

* * *

As she looped passed one of the buildings in the employee district her phone chirped, signaling someone had sent her an email. Blossom rolled her eyes, but continued her run. It was a little after 8 pm and was her first night off all week, she was not in the mood to deal with her job. After a few more steps, her phone chirped several times. Some of the chirps blending into the next. Groaning, Blossom stopped running to deal with whoever was desperately trying to get in touch with her. Slipping off her armband, Blossom removed her phone from its plastic encasement. The notification screen read '11 emails'.

"Fucking hell." Unlocking her phone, she quickly opened her email application. Eight were from Mayor each with exuberant subject lines, one was from HR confirming the hiring of an ACU official, and one was from a department store informing her a sale was coming up. The final email was from a name she hadn't recognized. She quickly skimmed through the emails from Mayor. Each email was written in capitals letters asking if she had hired him? Hired who? The guy in the video? They hadn't even known his name.

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Brick Johnson

 **Subject:** Application for Handler

 **Attached:**

To Miss Utonium,

Your boss reached out to me earlier about a job opening for someone with experience handling "dangerous animals". He saw a video of me at the Serengeti National Park and informed me to forward my resume to you directly rather than apply through your website.

Brick Johnson

* * *

How had Mayor found him so fast? Right, very wealthy, no problem finding anyone.

Involuntarily, her hands clenched. He had gone over her head to hire someone. He may be CEO but she was the one who physically ran the park. If anyone was to reach out to someone it should be her! Shouldn't it? She was here every single day, sorting out all problems to ensure operations ran smoothly. Who even was Br? Obviously he was daring enough to be a dinosaur trainer, but did he have experience with a prehistoric jungle? Probably not, they were the only establishment to host living dinosaurs.

There was the possibility he may have some background in paleontology. Ever since the park opened, degrees in genetic biology and paleontology have been at an all-time high. Resigning herself to reading over his resume, Blossom noticed he had a Masters in Zoology and had been working for the national park since graduating three years ago. While studying for his joint baccalaureate/masters, Brick worked for a local zoo. And during his last two years of high school, worked at a place called Pet Palace. Ten years of experience caring for animals and thankfully he had not listed caring for his parrot as part of his experience, like a different applicant. He had been a member of several honor societies and he graduated Summa Cum Laude (like herself).

What she couldn't let go was the fact he had no previous experience with dinosaurs. While in college, she had been a double major, business and paleontology.

But Mayor seemed keen on hiring him. Who else would go into a cage with one of the deadliest creatures ever in existence?

She typed his name into a search engine to find out more about the daredevil. Very few articles came up, half of which were his social media pages displaying the wonders of the Serengeti. She thought there would be more on the "Lion Whisperer" as someone in a comment had dubbed him. One article boasted about his skill in protecting the wildlife in Africa while another spoke of his ability to connect with anything in the animal kingdom.

* * *

 **To:** Brick Johnson

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** RE: Application for Handler

Good Evening Mr. Johnson,

We do not have an opening for a "dangerous animal" handler, what we are looking for is a handler for an up-in-coming exhibit featuring Velociraptors. They were – are – one of the greatest hunters in existence. I had viewed your video as well, and I must say you definitely have the moxie we're looking for, but I fear your lack of experience with Velociraptors. If you are still interested in this position, I would like to set up a meeting with you.

Blossom Utonium

* * *

Right as she slipped her armband back into place, her phone chirped once again. Was Mayor sending her _another_ email about hiring this man? Had _he_ already responded. The phone chirped once more. Maybe it was both?

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Barney Mayor

 **Subject:** THANK YOU

HE SAID YOU EMAILED HIM BACK ABOUT SETTING UP AN INTERVIEW! NOW ALL WE NEED IS TO FIGURE OUT WHERE TO HOUSE HIM!

MAYOR

* * *

That was not all they had to figure out! First she had to interview him, make sure he was a decent person. Reach out to his references! He needed to learn about raptors! He had no idea what they were like!

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Brick Johnson

 **Subject:** RE RE: Application for Handler

Miss Utonium,

I know I lack experience in regards to raptors, but I am more than willing to learn. When can we set up a meeting?

Brick Johnson

* * *

 _More than willing to learn._ She let out a groan. Dammit. Mayor was going to get what he wanted and she was going to have a man's blood on her hands. The main handler for the Mosasaurus had worked on her development. He had been there every step of the way and wanted to be out in the field, watching something he helped create grow. The most of handlers who worked in the Aviary had degrees in biology but had enrolled in college courses online to become acquainted with the dinosaurs. The main Tyrannosaurus handler was a paleontologist who specialized in all things Tyrannosaurus Rex, while her beta was previously a geneticist who specialized in extinct apex predators. The candidate for Velociraptor handler trained with jungle cats.

Hopefully this would work.

* * *

 **To:** Brick Johnson

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** RE RE RE: Application for Handler

Mr. Johnson,

Is this Thursday at noon fine?

Blossom Utonium

* * *

What had she done?

* * *

"Can I make a compliant about someone who started yesterday?" Blossom let out a sigh. She hadn't even had the chance to take a sip from her tea.

"Good morning to you too BC." The tea needs more sugar.

Buttercup marched over to where her sister was nestled, in the corner of a café in the lobby of their building. The booth Blossom occupied was covered in paper and the redhead jotted down notes in the margins. Plopping herself onto the seat opposite her sister, Buttercup began a tirade of the newest ACU employee.

"He's loud, he's brash, he's telling me how to run _my_ maneuvers, _MINE._ I am the one in charge of _my_ team not him! I'm usually the one newbies shadow but I had to dump him on Harry. He's been here for not even a day and I've already threatened to use my tranquilizer gun six times. Six!"

"Uh huh, that's nice BC." Blossom mumbled, her focus on the papers in front of her rather than her sister. Lime green eyes narrowed into a glare, just willing her older sister to look up.

"I had sex in the MVU."

"Sounds like fun."

"I stole an embryo and sold it to Morebucks."

"Okay, that's fine."

"I killed a man."

"Uh huh, I'll get right on that."

With an aggravated sigh, the brunette swiped her arm across the table, papers sliding every which way. A curt, "Hey!" was uttered as Blossom tried to collect and re-organize the papers into proper piles. Marketing was on the right, plans for the Velociraptor paddock in the middle, Internet searches of Brick Johnson to the left. Buttercup reached out grabbing a random sheet. A man with wavy, auburn locks, piercing red eyes, and a devilish grin smirked up at her. Her eyebrow raised in response. What was her sister looking at? Skimming through the few, short paragraphs below, she surmised the man worked at an animal sanctuary and was a prominent figure in the study of African wildlife. Smart and good looking, Blossom sure knew how to pick 'em.

"We stalking someone? He's kinda cute." Blossom's cheeks flushed as she snatched the paper back. She wasn't stalking, she was researching, there was a difference! She was going to be trusting him with the care of several _very_ expensive assets, she wanted to make sure he was legit. So what if he happened to be 'kinda cute.'

Yet why were there so little notes on such an integral part to the conservation world? "Did you hear anything I said before?"

"Yea something about ACU and MVU helping a man."

Buttercup shook her head, of course she wasn't listening she was too busy doing whatever it is nerds do to attempt to find a nerd mate. Buttercup glanced down again at the three piles her sister had created. Maybe, she could take her complaint to HR instead, Blossom already seemed to have her hands full. The redhead should utilize her assistant more, what was her name, Randy? Rhonda? Something with an R – probably. Blossom took on everything on her own, rather than hand it off to someone else.

"Is that the new ad campaign?"

Blossom muttered something Buttercup couldn't make out and handed the pile over to the brunette. Flipping through, the brunette saw several different pitches, some good, some decent, but most horrific. Judging from what Marketing was turning out, Buttercup would not go out and buy a ticket. "I tried speaking to Mom about the ones I liked and which ones she did but all Mayor wanted to talk about was him instead." Blossom grumbled, tilting her head towards the pile with the picture of the male redhead. "Was dubbed by a follower on some social media site the "Lion Whisperer". Stuck his head inside its mouth. Mayor wants me to hire him. The Board of Twi-rustees wants me to send them where we are on the Raptors and Marketing, god Marketing. I have to send them my notes, hopefully they'll have more for me by the end of the day."

* * *

After setting up their interview the previous night, Mr. Johnson had sent her a list of six references, three work related references and three personal references.

 _Roger L. Jackson, Director General Serengeti National Park_

 _Jim Cummings, co-worker at Serengeti National Park, specialized in primates_

 _Chuck McCann, Head bacteriologist at Megaville Zoo_

 _Jennifer Hale, family friend, boss at Pet Palace_

 _Jeff Bennett, classmate at UC Santa Barbara_

 _Tom Kane, family friend_

Blossom groaned, dropping her head into her hands. She had to get in contact with the six of them and find more information on this "Lion Whisperer" all by Thursday. What had she done? HR had a whole team of people whose job it was to make calls or emails to references. Her job involved making sure the park didn't implode daily. Typing in the first number for a Roger L. Jackson, her phone and computer both chirped. The subject line of the email read "Urgent: Roof Now". Guess she had to call them later.

Quickly, Blossom took a screenshot of document Brick had sent her. Any chance she had today she would call them. Rushing to the elevator, Blossom opened her clock application to figure out the time difference between them and the Serengeti National Park. Eight hours ahead. That meant she'd have to call them now to ensure the employees hadn't gone home for the day.

"Fuck."

The elevator doors slid open, Mayor's helicopter making its descent onto the helipad. Quickly opening the email, the text was the same as the subject line, "Urgent: roof now". What was wrong?

Mayor hoped out of the elevator and rushed towards Bl, talking a mile a minute about their new hire. The ACU hire? Or had he meant the man Blossom was _interviewing_ on Thursday. Currently _not_ an employee. What was Mayor's fixation with the man? Yes, he stuck his head into a lioness' mouth, yes he was hugged by another (or was it the same lioness?), yes the only male in the pride doesn't see him as a threat to the pride infrastructure. But come on there had to be other people in the world just as crazy as he was, why was Mayor fixating on this one?!

Her mother climbed out of the helicopter, her hair whipping about in front of her face. "Good morning sweetheart, what are you doing up here? We were just heading down to breakfast before a meeting with your father." An email told her to be on the roof ASAP and what was this about a meeting with her father? Why hadn't she been informed of it?

As if reading her mind, Mrs. Utonium placed a hand gently on her daughter's shoulder, "Mayor wants to make sure the girls are going to be _very scary_." The end of the sentence spoken in Mayor's bumbling voice, "Needn't worry darling, no qualms. Just go back to doing whatever it was you were doing." Watching the retreating backs of both her mother and her boss, Blossom let out a groan. "Urgent, he fucking said urgent."

Right before the door leading back into the Control Tower shut, the shorter man threw the door open with enough force it banged against the wall. "I FORGOT! I only found out about this last night and I need you to make arrangements urgently, write this down." Without missing a beat, Blossom pulled her tablet and its stylus from her bag, "It was brought to my attention November 14th is National Pickle Day. I need an event planned in honor of such a luxurious event." Mayor began listing off inane ideas to celebrate his joyous holiday while Blossom's grip tightened on her stylus. She ignored the faint cracking noise. His urgent message was about National Pickle Day?! He couldn't have just sent her an email explaining what he wanted? Instead, he had to make it seem as if a comet was hurtling towards Earth to kill the dinosaurs again.

A squeal of joy came from the short male as he looked up at Bl, "Just imagine all the fun we could have. I need an initial itinerary in my hand by the end of the week, we only have a few months to prep for such an important holiday." As gracefully as he had come out, Mayor raced back into the Control Tower.

He wanted her to prepare for National Pickle Day? What have the Tyrannosaurus Rex dressed up as a giant pickle and have pickle juice flowing through the Cretaceous Cruise? Blossom had very little time to plan this holiday event. She had t-minus 48 hours before this meeting with Mr. Lion Whisperer himself. And the window between now and four raptors was steadily shrinking. Regretting it, Blossom opened up her email application.

* * *

 **To:** Buttercup Utonium, Bubbles Utonium, Robin Synder, Mike Believe, + 3 more

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** Happy Holidays

I was just informed our park is going to be celebrating National Pickle Day. It's November 14th and I need to have an initial itinerary (already?) in my hand by Friday. Ask anyone in your department, or anyone you know if they have any ideas. No idea is a bad idea. Can be emailed to either me or my assistant. Currently my list of ideas is as such

1) ?

2) ?

Blossom Utonium

* * *

After scanning over the screenshot, Blossom punched in the number for Roger L. Jackson. She would call Mr. Jackson on her way to the Gallimimus Valley. After a few rings, a gruff voice was heard over the phone.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Good morning, well afternoon Mr. Jackson. My name is Blossom Utonium, I'm the Operations Manager at Jurassic World. Brick Johnson put you down as one of his references and I was wondering if you weren't too busy, could I ask a few questions about him?"

Shuffling of papers were heard on the other side of the line and the voice grumbled out a "very well then."

"First I would like to verify the dates of his employment and his position within your company." Pushing open the doors to exit the Control Tower, the heat seemed to escalate tenfold within the few minutes she had been indoors. Thankfully she had parked in the shade, her car would be slightly cooler. Across from the Control Tower, a monitor read the temperature was already at 89 degrees Fahrenheit, then converted it to 32 degrees Celsius. 32 degrees, she sighed. 32 degrees used to mean snowy weather, a mug of hot chocolate with extra marshmallows, and her cute little pink snow boots. Now it meant carry a water bottle constantly so you don't pass out. Sometimes she regretted leaving her hometown.

"Brick Johnson was employed by us, the Serengeti National Park, where he was employed as a caretaker here. He started here after college, about three years ago and has been employed here ever since he graduated." Putting the car in park, Blossom pulled Brick's resume and a pen out of her bag and placed a checkmark next to his claim of being at the national park for three years.

Right as she was about to ask her next question, Mr. Jackson went on a very repetitive tangent about how the national park wasn't a company but a conservation center. Glancing at her car's dashboard, Blossom let out a groan. This was going to be a long day. Eventually she succeeded in getting answers out of Mr. Jackson to both corroborate what Mr. Johnson had listed on his resume and help develop his character. She also hoped she would never have to hear Mr. Jackson speak ever again. That conversation should have been three times shorter.

As she was about to step out of her car to check on the Gallimimus Valley, the main handler knocked on her window. "That looked like a very stressing phone call and figured just hand delivering my report to you would be easier than having you come and check everything out. We still need a botanist to come check out that weird plant near the end of the Valley, but other than that everything is looking good. I'm going down to the lab right now to check on one of the girls who had been taken in for her leg last week. I can send you the information later if you want?" The handler gave a small wave before jogging over to her car. Shooting a quick email about a paleobotanist _still_ needed to check out an anomaly in the Valley, Blossom typed in the next number to call.

This time a loud, drawl was heard on the other side of the line, "Hello?"

Introducing herself and explaining why she was calling once again, Blossom was ready to ask the same questions when she heard a rough, "What y'all want with him?" She quickly noted down his tone. Did Mr. Cummings not like Mr. Johnson?

"Mr. Johnson applied for a position here-"

"You already said that." The voice clipped. Rude.

Running a hand through her hair, tousling her tresses Blossom glared at her reflection in her rearview mirror. She hoped this conversation wouldn't be as taxing as the last one. Was that a banjo in the background?

"So what y'all want with him?" the man repeated. Calming breath Bl, she told herself, in through the nose out through the mouth. She began asking questions about Mr. Johnson's character and Mr. Cummings would begrudgingly answer them. Mr. Cummings was going over Mr. Johnson's work performance but Blossom could barely focus. His voice was earsplitting, she lowered the volume on the phone call yet she still found herself reaching one hand into her purse for ibuprofen.

"The kid's smart, an idiot, but still smart. Willingly hugging them lions like they was a Tabby cat." That definitely was a banjo in the background, "But the kid's resilient. No matter what happened the day before, he was ready the next day to try again."

Interesting response for a reference. She's never heard a reference say the candidate was an idiot, yet you should still hire them. Especially when explaining the candidate's strengths. Maybe she should have asked about his strengths _and_ weaknesses. "In your opinion, how did Mr. Johnson react to stressful situations?"

Based on what Mr. Cummings was saying, Mr. Johnson would have no qualms being in a paddock with four Velociraptors. Then again, watching his video anyone with eyes could assume he'd be open to entering a paddock with apex predators. In the middle of Mr. Cumming's sentence, Blossom's phone beeped, indicating someone had sent her a message. "What in tarnation was that?!"

"I apologize, I received a message, could you repeat what you were saying?"

Blossom groaned after clicking the End Call button. Two references in and she was ready to hand in the metaphorical towel. One repeated himself as if no one heard what he said the first twelve times, the other was loud, brash, and playing a banjo. She made her way down the rest of the list, a male who sounded like he frequented a speakeasy, a woman who spoke in full about grooming products, and a city slicker who went into detail about how Mr. Johnson tutored he and a few colleagues back at UC Santa Barbara, assisting in raising their grades by two letters. She had to give him credit, she had worked in the tutoring center in college. Mr. Johnson had an interesting array of references. They all had unique personalities and each raved about Mr. Johnson, excluding the comment about him being an idiot.

Then Tom Kane and his falsetto answered.

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Buttercup Utonium

 **Subject:** RE: Happy Holidays

As much as I love the old geezer, can we lock him in one of the offices with a hundred pickle jars while some poor intern dresses up as a pickle? Maybe have s/he sing and dance? He enjoys National Pickle Day while the rest of us normal people ignore the so called, "holiday".

Buttercup Utonium

* * *

Signing into her Skype account, Blossom mentally prepared herself for this interview. At least the past candidates who were unsuitable had no experience whatsoever with dangerous species. Brick at least gained the trust over a whole pride – and an elephant Blossom desperately wanted to ride. Her questions had been printed out and rested on the desk in front of her. Though she had asked these questions enough times that she knew them by heart. Blossom expected by the end of the interview they would still have an opening for main Velociraptor handler. Then again Mayor was promoting his application, if he didn't get the job she would have to deal with the short man's whining. On a sticky note she wrote down to buy a crate of pickle jars.

The computer application made a noise as it logged in and under her Contacts saw Mr. Johnson was already online. Time to get this over with. The application rang out as it called Mr. Johnson, the three dots asking her to wait soon were replaced with a handsome visage. Shit, she forgot he was cute.

"Good morning Mr. Johnson." She said curtly, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, "I would like to start this interview by asking you several questions. After you are more than welcome to ask any questions you may have on your part. Sound good?"

"Yes ma'am." Fuck he should not smirk like that. Blossom could feel her cheeks heating up and hoped the thin level of foundation she had applied earlier would hide her blush. Judging by the deepening of his smirk, she had no such luck. She hadn't even started questions and she already wanted to hang up and have HR do this. Then again after HR interviewed a handler, she always followed up with a second interview herself.

"Tell me about yourself."

Blossom watched as Mr. Johnson's smirk slightly fell, "I have a degree in Zoology, spent the past three years working for the Serengeti-" he rattled off information Blossom already knew.

"Can you tell me what's not on your resume?" His eyebrows raised slightly, maybe at her or at the question, before running a hand through his hair. At least he brushed it, in every picture or video she had seen his hair was mussed.

"Judging from the video, you saw me hanging out with the lionesses. It took a while for them to warm up to me. A mentor I had at the park would drive out with me and basically introduce me to all the girls. It was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. The one hugging me in the video was the first to accept me and was the main consort of the male lion. Said male lion hated me when he first met me, saw me as a threat to both his pride and his lady friend. Sunk his claws into my shoulder." She watched as he absentmindedly traced his fingers over his left shoulder. "I thought I was gonna die. Honestly. He could easily take me down. As much as I love the story, I'm no Tarzan, can't fight off a jungle cat. My mentor took me back to the hub, cleaned me up, and the next day he brought us back out to the pride. Told me 'fear is temporary and chicks dig scars. Go make a friend.'" A small chuckle was heard on both ends of the screen, "I went out every day, the lionesses backing me up until finally one day the male lion accepted me.

"The gazelles were the hardest to assimilate with because I smelled like the lions. They saw me as a predator and would run whenever I came near."

Blossom nodded, "That answers me next question, how'd you get a lion to let you into his pride?" The male before her gave her a soft smile in response. Blossom knew what her next question would be, 'why should we hire you?' but instead she found herself asking, "What possessed you to stick your head in a lion's mouth?"

Mr. Johnson, let out a chort nodding his head slowly, "Get that one a lot. Adrenaline mostly, some stupidity, but I also knew she wouldn't hurt me same as I would never hurt her. Again, it was mostly pure adrenaline and stupidity." At least he was honest. Tearing her eyes from the screen she jotted down some notes on her print-out. When she looked back up, her eyes met his and he seemed nervous. What was there to be nervous about? Talking to Blossom was nowhere near as terrifying as sticking your head in a lion's mouth. At least she thought so.

"Do you see yourself and the lions as equals? Is that why you knew she wouldn't hurt you?"

"Not really, they're more in control than I am. I like to think we're equals that way I stay alive, you show fear you're done with. Whether it be lions, cheetahs, or even Velociraptors, if we disregarded our reliance on technology and our opposable thumbs, we would not be top of the food chain. These are living creatures designed for hunting. I knew she wouldn't hurt me because we have a mutualistic relationship, I gained her respect by protecting her from poachers. She in turn protected me from a cheetah I hadn't become acquainted with at that point."

Blossom scribed down what he said, "You're not equals?"

"No, they deserve our respect." She smiled at what he said before jotting that down as well, she could agree with that. Blossom brushed aside her bangs, her rose colored eyes taking in everything that wasn't verbally being said. A finger on Brick's left hand twitch, while his eyes seemed to dull in color under her scrutiny.

"Are you willing to do a crash course in all things Velociraptors? This will be grueling. I will have a co-worker begin preparations and teach you. This isn't going to be like in college where you'll have a few classes a day. You will be learning from the moment the park opens to the moment the park closes. That's fourteen hours a day. We have a very limited window before the eggs hatch and you would need to imprint on them the moment they are born. We need them to trust you, to respect you. The sooner the better. Can you handle that?"

"Does this count as schooling for my PhD?" he joked but she set her mouth in a hard line. She watched as he swallowed a lump in his throat. "I understand what I know about Velociraptors is limited to the belief they are the ancestors of chickens and that they are supposed to be extinct. I was able to be accepted by a pride of lions and although it isn't shown in the compilation video, I was also accepted by a coalition of cheetahs. I have pictures somewhere on my phone, I can show them to you if you want." Blossom didn't mention she had already seen the pictures, having scrolled through his social media pages. "I believe I can be accepted by the raptors as well."

"Can you handle it?" Blossom reiterated, her rose colored eyes locked with his piercing crimson ones.

"Yes."

* * *

 **To:** Mike Believe

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** I just made the worst mistake of my life

As the subject line says. I'm going to need you to kill me, but first help me sort out this mistake before you kill me.

Blossom Utonium

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Mike Believe

 **Subject:** RE: I just made the worst mistake of my life

Sorry, can't kill people, part of my New Year's resolution, partway there can't break the resolution now.

Will help fix whatever this mistake is, in exchange you help a socially inept male (me) get a date with a wonderful, exuberant female (Robin).

Mike Believe

* * *

 **To:** Mike Believe

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** RE RE: I just made the worst mistake of my life

What's the point of you being my friend if you won't kill me when I make mistakes? Is it cause I'm not your bff? I can dye my hair blonde.

There is a possibility I hired a Velociraptor handler who knows nothing about said dinosaurs. Or dinosaurs in general. Mayor wanted him desperately after seeing a video of him sticking his head in a lion's mouth. I'm transferring you from your paddock for the next few weeks. It'll give Cavadini a chance to say goodbye to Rexy. Teach him anything and everything about the raptors to the point where he can write a dissertation on them by the time they hatch. I'll also have my father teach him whenever he's free, can't drag you away from Rexy for too long.

As of right now he's the only raptor handler and you're the only person I know who is both ballsy (stupid) enough to get in a paddock and educated enough to know the inner workings of Velociraptors. Watch over him while I attempt to find a beta handler who knows more than "they're supposed to be extinct".

I can't do that. Robin isn't even in this hemisphere! Aren't her and Mitch seeing each other?

Help me Obi-Mike Kenobi, you're my only hope,

Blossom Utonium

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Mike Believe

 **Subject:** RE RE RE: I just made the worst mistake of my life

Don't dye your hair, just wait til next year. I'll have a new resolution by then.

Is he hot? Is that why you hired an idiot? Never mind, I'm calling your sisters because I know you're gonna lie and say no. But I _guess_ I can teach Mr. Probably-Too-Pretty-To-Learn how not to die. I need at least two hours a day with Rexy, you know I'll miss her too much. Gotta say goodbye to Cavadini, will miss her too.

Mitch said their date was awkward and most of it was drinking tequila rather than talking. Thanks for getting us all hooked on tequila btw. And _fine_ because you're obviously in so much need of assistance you pulled out a Star Wars reference on Mr. Vader himself, I will help you. Even without you setting up this date.

Obi-Mike. Now that's a name I have not heard in a long time. A long time,

Blossom Utonium

* * *

 **To:** Mike Believe

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** RE RE RE RE: I just made the worst mistake of my life

 **Attached:** We need him (VID)

His appearance had nothing to do with it. When have I ever done that. I hire qualified handlers. Usually. Just watch this video Mayor sent me. You'll understand why he's spammed my email _**every**_ _**single**_ _**day**_ telling me to hire him.

I could work with two hours a day. I'm already making up a timetable for when he'll meet with you and when he'll meet with my father. Mr. Johnson flies in on Wednesday. Be prepared to become Professor Believe.

You got me hooked on Star Wars, I got you hooked on tequila. Fair trade.

Also, Robin is looking forward to a second date… Guess as a good best friend I should stock up on ice cream before she gets back.

Blossom Utonium

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Mike Believe

 **Subject:** RE RE RE RE RE: I just made the worst mistake of my life

I would make a comment about the title of the video but you mentioned it's from the small man in charge. And every day? I would have deleted my email. What time Wednesday? I'm stuck washing Rexy because a patron (who was forty-two, by the way) heard me say "hell" in the men's room to Mitch. Cavadini thinks she's tough, but I get to spend time with my favorite girl so it's not a punishment at all.

Question, is appearance completely aside or no? Because as a man who is usually pretty confident in his looks, that man makes me want to go climb into a well.

THAT IS NOT A FAIR TRADE! ONE DOESN'T DESTROY YOUR LIVER!

Guess I should stock up on ice cream too. But that's just cause I like ice cream.

Mike Believe

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Mike Believe

 **Subject:** RE RE RE RE RE RE: I just made the worst mistake of my life

I'm going to be showing him around on Wednesday, get him used to the park, then whenever you're free you can start the crash course. I swear if you make a comment about me showing him around I will fire you. I have the incident report said forty-two year old made about harsh language used by staff. Then you can't clean Rexy because you shall be back stateside.

I shouldn't have to answer that.

You just have a weak liver.

Blossom Utonium

* * *

 **Challenge: Try writing a Jurassic Park AU while watching Magic Mike Believe XXL. All I wanna do is move my hips to Pony but my brain isn't letting it rain men D:**

 **THEY AIRED SEASON THREE OF RICK AND MORTY!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I wanted this up last week but c'est la vie ("la vie").**

* * *

The plane touched down on the runway somewhere in Costa Rica and Brick let out a sigh. He was here. He had been hired by Jurassic World a few days prior and would be their handler for a pack of Velociraptors. Smirking, he adjusted his earbuds. Easiest job application he ever had, they were obviously desperate to fill the position. As the plane slowly rolled down the tarmac, leading them to the terminal, Brick glanced out the window. Where was he? Would there be someone with a sign waiting for him? Blossom hadn't told him much, just emailed him his ticket and asked if he preferred air or sea travel. Had she expected him to take a boat all the way down to bumblefuck Costa Rica?

Exiting the plane was horrible. A child started screaming after seeing his eyes, saying he was evil or something. Brick's Spanish wasn't the best. Blossom mentioned she'd help with that. Conversational Spanish, which he's considered, is required on their applications. Then again he hadn't met the requirements for being a handler.

Judging by the amount of children in the airport, Brick assumed they were all going to the island as well. He kind of forgot he'd have to deal with children when applying.

He hated children.

Picking up his suitcase, he trudged behind the packs of families all marching towards a sign that said "Ferry to Isla Nublar". Did he have to take a ferry with all the families? Walking through the exit doors, Brick spotted a redhaired woman sitting on a railing. Her blush pink aviators reflecting the sunlight. Blossom Utonium came to pick him up herself? Wasn't he special. Waving a hand towards him, she then pointed in the opposite direction of the ferry.

No ferry with annoying children?

"Good morning Mr. Johnson." Blossom glanced down at the dufflebag in his hand, "Do you have to stop by baggage claim?"

"No." He said shaking his head, "Didn't bring a lot to Africa."

"When you said you preferred air travel, I had a helicopter arranged. Unless you'd rather go by ferry." She gestured towards what they referred to as a ferry. It looked more like a porcelain yacht. The sleek ferry had two floors, decorated in different hues of blue decals. It even had floor-to-ceiling windows. A small flag flew atop a thin mast. That was the nicest ferry Brick had ever seen. "It's 120 miles from here to Isla Nublar, shall we head out?"

People fly all the way here to have to spend however long on a ferry?

"Our ferry goes faster than your average cruise liner, solar panels allow for less fuel consumption and faster speeds. Doesn't take very long to get to the island, plus just look at the view." She gestured her arms out to the Pacific Ocean, "We recently started food stands and a food trolley to go around to keep our patrons comfortable." The woman before him slid her glasses up onto her head, brushing her bangs back. Her eyes truly were pink. He had thought it was the lighting, or a bad connection, but her eyes were a rose pink color. Who was he to talk, he had blood red eyes that scared annoying children on planes.

"The helicopter is this way."

He followed the woman through the airport towards an awaiting helicopter, it's propellers already in motion. "Watch your head." She yelled over the sound of the wind whipping about, "Can't have you getting decapitated. You're the only raptor handler we have." Was that her attempt at a joke? "Once you get in, put on your headset, it will be much easier to hear."

Climbing into the helicopter, there were three people seated inside. One was the pilot. The second was a short, elderly man whose face lit up as Brick buckled himself in. The third, a tall, voluptuous redhaired woman who looked like an older version of Blossom extended one hand out to Brick, the other pointed to her headset. Right Blossom mentioned that. After securing both himself in the seat, and the headset in place, he heard the woman sitting in front of him speak. "It's lovely to finally meet you. I'm Sara Utonium and this is Barney Mayor, CEO of MayGen. I'm assuming you know Blossom." He turned his head back to the redhead sitting beside him and nodded, were they related? They looked alike and had the same last name.

He hadn't heard about a Sara Utonium.

Brick made a mental note to research more about MayGen.

"MayGen, or Mayor Genetics has been around for a little over two decades." The older redhead began to explain. He knew most of what she was saying, he had been combing through every MayGen article he could find. "Mr. Mayor has been mentioning your video to anyone who would listen. It really caught his attention and we are thrilled to have you on board."

This was the man in charge of Mayor Genetics? The man who started the dinosaur program? He was struggling to open a pickle jar. Judging by the fact Sara Utonium hadn't look away from Brick as she removed the lid, he assumed this was a usual occurrence.

"Look below." Brick heard Blossom's voice over the headset and peeked through the window beside him. Below, the monorail sped down the track towards a monumental gate bookended between two stone pillars, each side baring three torches. Two colossal oak doors slowly opened inwards, as the monorail raced through. Over the headset, he heard Blossom say, "Welcome to Jurassic World."

The main hub of the park began to erect itself, sandwiched between a large lagoon and what looked like a miniature volcano. People, the size of ants, trudged slowly through the crowd.

Jurassic World was breathtaking from above.

"Many dinosaurs in the park were not alive during the Jurassic Period, one of which will be your raptors. For marketing reasons the park was named Jurassic World rather than Prehistoric World. Sounds better." Sara Utonium began clarifying minuscule aspects of the park customers would nitpick about and how to handle said situations, however Brick was barely listening. A long, dark shape was submerged under the lagoon's crystal blue surface slowly making its way through the water. He wasn't an expert but with that size from this height, whatever the creature was Brick guessed this thing was larger than a humpback whale. Regardless of the fact he had no idea how long a humpback whale was. What was that thing?

* * *

Climbing into Blossom's car – did all the employees get to drive a luxury vehicle or just the important ones? Sleek, sexy, and still remarkably white. Fuck, he wanted a nice car, preferably vintage with a convertible top but Velociraptors handlers can't be choosers. His current mode of transportation was a mud-covered Jeep almost as old as him – engine was at least half his age. He would _kill_ for a swankmobile. Maybe not _kill_. Just because his hair was a reddish orange did not mean he looked good in an orange jumpsuit.

Red jumpsuit on the other hand...

"Hope you don't mind starting the tour in the Raptor paddock and working our way back. Your mentor is currently incapacitated." He had a mentor? Reaching into her pocket, Blossom pulled out a identification badge with a small alligator clip attached to the back.

"Only way in and out of the Velociraptor paddock is by flashing your identification badge to the guard of the restricted area gate. Needn't worry about dealing with the public."

A small white guardhouse shrouded by foliage emerged, attached to a fence composed of thin wires. If that sign was anything to go by, you touch the fence you get a nice 10,000 volt massage. Can a human withstand that many volts?

"Good morning Miss Utonium." A small, elderly man chirped from his seat behind the glass window, "How has your morning been?"

Pulling her hair back into a high ponytail, Blossom smiled at the cheery male, "My morning's been well, how is yours?"

"Wonderful dear, the grandkids are coming in to visit next week." Brick watched as the fence began to retract. The old guy didn't check her badge. Blossom lied, you can get in without a badge. "Landscapers are currently in the paddock, should be out within the hour. Something about a pond."

Leaning back into her seat, Blossom gestured to Brick. "Jerry, this is our newest handler, Brick Johnson."

The old man beamed even more, "Hello there son. Welcome to our staff and the greatest place in the world." How was he able to seem honest saying that? Sending the man a small wave, the car continued its trek.

The dirt path began to widen, feeding into a large clearing beside a cliff. A colossal infrastructure in the shape of an octagon was situated in the center. Making up the wall's siding were two rows of corrugated steel. On the southern wall, a dark colored metal crafted the paddock's gate standing as tall as the paddock itself. Two industrial girders set on either side of said gate. Stairs ran along every other side, a small landing located where the two rows of metal met.

Steel bars jutted out from the eastern wall taking the form of a small cage.

"This is the Raptor Research Arena." Blossom said with a small proud smile. Slipping her suit jacket off, Blossom gestured to the paddock, "Ready to see your new home?"

A small control box littered with buttons of varying different colors was built into the steel cage's concrete base. Grinding of metal gears concocted a deafening medley alongside the loud beeping of a warning alarm.

Eyes softening and lips curling down slightly, Blossom looked almost apologetic as she reached a hand out for a second control box attached to a corrugated steel wall. What was wrong?

And why were four strange metal contraptions built into the wall?

A piercing two-toned siren began to wail as a small red light above the cage began to dance in a circle. Wincing, Brick quickly covered his ears in a vain attempt to block out the sound. How did Blossom not cringe from the sound? "There are two sirens. This one is heard when someone tries to open both gates at the same time. Doesn't work, precautionary measure against a raptor getting passed. The second, and trust me, more deafening alarm is if there is a true problem. As in a raptor _getting_ passed. You do _not_ want to hear that one." Blossom yelled, her voice barely heard over the sound of the alarm.

Her lips began to curl into a small smirk, clicking something on the second control box as the world went quiet. "The alarms will be lowered. The first alarm may go off often and like any animal, a raptor's hearing is superior to humans. Don't want four agitated raptors on your hands, do you?"

Did they just fuck with him?

They definitely just fucked with him

Well played Jurassic World, well played.

His boss is also a little shit.

In the center of the paddock stood a large industrial pillar composed of eight, thin metal rods in the shape of an octagon. What was with this park and octagons? The top of the pillar acted as a junction between two catwalks, one running north to south, the other running east to west. Several people surrounded a small folding table set up at the base of the column.

He may have forgotten that the old man (whose name he may have already forgotten as well) said the landscapers were currently in the paddock. Did none of them react to the alarm?!

A tall male beside the folding table called Blossom over to discuss the placement of a pond. Mid-conversation, Blossom pointed to an area on the north side of the paddock, where a large rectangle had been cut out of the steel. "That is going to be the viewing area for the public, engineers should be here around noon." Sending the landscaper a look, the male nodded mentioning they'd be done in at most fifteen minutes.

"We also intend on eight floodlights to be placed around the perimeter of the walkway."

He was going to go deaf, then blind and then be turned into a late lunch by prehistoric hunters? Fun day at the office.

* * *

 _Chicka chicka, chicka chicka, chicka chicka, chicka chicka_

"You gonna get that?" Turning his gaze from the window, Brick raised an eyebrow in question.

"Yello, really?" Shit, he forgot that was the sound set for when he received a text. "How can you possibly be expected to handle work on a day like this?" Blossom said with a airy lilt in her face, gesturing with one hand out the window.

Had he mentioned his boss was a little shit. Who happened to get the quote right.

"Probably just my dads."

"They missing you already?"

Opening his mouth to respond with his usual retort, Brick snapped his head towards her. This time Blossom was the one to raise the eyebrow.

"Right sorry, no. Annoyed is more like it, I was supposed to be heading back home within the next two, three months. Not get a job in another country." Blossom nodded in understanding but did she really? Her mother worked for the same company.

* * *

 **From:** The Old Man

Good luck son.

 **From:** The Old Man

Answer your father, he's being rather bothersome. Calling and sending messages constantly about his horrid eldest son. I am at work, I need not be annoyed with his incessant wallowing. It is quite tiresome.

 **To:** The Old Man

You're the one that married him…

* * *

 **From:** Dad 2.0

DID YOU GET TO THE PARK?!

 **From:** Dad 2.0

I LOOKED UP YOUR FLIGHT IT LANDED A WHILE AGO! IF YOU DON'T ANSWER ME SOON I'LL RETURN YOU FOR A BETTER SON!

 **To:** Dad 2.0

You can't return me if the Old Man's my biological father…

 **From:** Dad 2.0

I CAN ALWAYS SELL YOU, WITH THAT HAIR COLOR YOU'D GO FOR A PRETTY PENNY!

 **To:** Dad 2.0

Message not received, recipient died in plane crash.

 **From:** Dad 2.0

You little shit

* * *

Smirking, he slid his phone back into his pocket.

Main Street seemed even more crowded from the ground than when they were flying overhead. Children ran about like fools, screaming as they went. Their parents armed with everything sold at the souvenir shops trudged after them. That one parent is a walking stuffed animal. One monster had two ice cream cones, one in each hand, and was attempting to scale the Gentle Giants Petting Zoo fence.

A blonde female, clothed in a light beige Jurassic World uniform, coaxed the hellion off the fence with a soft smile. Lifting her gaze from the child, the blonde woman's smile widened in their direction.

"Blossy!"

Blossy?

Turning to face his companion, he watched as she rolled her rose eyes, her cheeks lightly flushing. The shorter blonde female wore a smug look as she leaned her elbows onto the fence. Flicking the blonde woman in between her eyebrows only resulted in the woman's grin growing.

"I love when you wear this skirt, we match." Was the woman hitting on Blossom?

Rolling her eyes again, Blossom whipped her head in his direction, her ponytail smacking the woman in the face. "Brick, meet Bubbles and sadly we stem from the same gene pool."

The blonde, Bubbles, let out a chuckle, brushing her back her flyaways. Her large, cornflower blue eyes scanned him over, as if trying to understand him before they were hidden behind a pair of blue aviators. Sticking her hand out, the blonde properly introduced herself. "Bubbles Utonium, head of the Gentle Giants Petting Zoo, and Blossom Utonium's favorite sister. Nice to meet the Mr. Lion Whisperer."

There was another Utonium working here?

Was that what they knew him as?

"First off, I do not play favorites. Secondly, how is she?" Blossom asked, walking through the gate into the petting zoo. Wasn't her skirt gonna get dirty? It was a light nude color.

"She's been better. Threw up twice since I called you. Fell asleep the moment I put her in the nest. A vet came in earlier to check on her but couldn't figure out what was wrong."

Phone already in hand, Blossom began typing something. "Robin will come by soon. Says if she's not here in a half hour to call her again, she's still a little tired after her flight last night."

Did Bubbles just blow a bubble? Was there some literary device about that?

"She's inside if you want to see her."

Shaking her head, Blossom meandered her way through the small 'gentle giants.' Placing a hand on top of a mini triceratops, Blossom let out a minuscule smile. "Do you want me to pick you up lunch?"

Was she talking to the dinosaur?

"Nope." Bubbles said, popping the 'p' sound. "I'm having lunch with a guy in ACU."

Blossom raised her eyebrows in question, opening her mouth to ask her sister something but Bubbles beat her to it, "It's not really a date. He's cute but he's hung up on a uh-" her eyes drifted towards a petite female on the oposite side of the petting zoo.

"So no need for you or BC to show up like last time."

Blossom's cheeks flushed the same color as her hair, "I had nothing to do with that! That was all BC!"

The blonde didn't seem to be buying what her sister was selling. Bubbles handed Blossom a small purple folder as the redhead walked out of the petting zoo.

"Do you want lunch?" She asked, glancing up at him. Lunch sounded good. Airplane pretzels hadn't been filling. "Let's go get some cheap food. Flash badge, you get food 75% off."

* * *

"I give you a 75 on your original understanding of raptors." Brick heard from the catwalk above. A male with honey colored hair, leaned against the railing staring down at the two of them. Without looking up from her phone, Blossom shook her head, yelling for him to come down. "Put the phone away and I will."

Blossom raised an eyebrow but continued typing away. "Come down and you'll still have a job." Brick watched the male frown as he stomped his way down to them. "Good boy, tell Rexy buh-bye."

That message must be real important.

"You emailed me to get down?!" Yup, real important judging by her small smirk.

The three walked towards the building beside the T. Rex Kingdom, the sign read Barney Mayor Creation Lab. He listened as Blossom explained the purpose of the laboratory. This is where the geneticists designed the assets and housed the fertilized eggs before they were moved to the nursery. That this would be _his_ home for the next five weeks, where he was to learn everything about raptors before they hatched and he was to learn how to survive said raptors after they hatched. Somehow she expected the idiot beside them to be able to teach him proper safety techniques in regards to prehistoric monstrosities.

Then again, the idiot was a handler for the Tyrannosaurus Rex and is miraculously still alive. He must know some things.

Brick barely made out Blossom telling them she had to run, something about finding a paleobotanist. In a flash of red, she was gone and he was stuck with the T-rex fanatic. Mike gestured for Brick to sit down at the table while he dug through his bag, pulling out a large tome. The room had three pure white walls, while the fourth was made of glass. There were two rows of long, white tables on each side of the circular incubator situated in the middle of the room. Each table covered in microscopes and Petri dishes and lab equipment Brick had never seen before. A large mechanical arm slowly turned the four eggs inside of the incubator. The raptor eggs. His raptors.

Why did interior decorators insist on painting the walls white and then having all furniture be white as well? Was it supposed to be calming? Was it supposed to make the room seem clean? Because Brick was not calm and a spill would dirty those pure white surfaces.

Where were all the lab technicians? It was just Brick and Mike, neither of which knew anything about genetic biology.

The idiot ran a hand through his hair as he flipped through the pages of a book. "Here it is!"

The open book was slid across the table and a small, feathered creature looked up at him. A small _ugly_ feathered creature. It looked like something out of Jim Henson's nightmares. The creature was crouched down behind a bush, as if hiding itself like a lioness preparing to pounce. Aside from the creature's abnormally large tail, which stood perfectly straight, it's prey would have no inclination it was there. What the hell was that thing?

Below the artist's rendition of the strange creature was an information box.

 _Velociraptor_

 _Length: up to 6.8 ft (2 meters)_

 _Height: 1.6 ft (0.5 m)_

 _Weight: up to 33 pounds (15 kg)_

That feathery thing was a velociraptor? People were preordering tickets to see four grotesque oversized parrots?

"Discovery of their fossils have shown raptors came up to an average human's hip and quill knobs found on a raptor's forearm indicate that they indeed had feathers, like a modern-day bird of prey." Mike began, flipping to a page showing a close-up off a bone littered with small indentations. A blurb beside the bone explained a quill knob was where the feather anchored onto a bone.

"Due to nature being a heartless _but inticing_ bitch, raptors were flightless akin to the ever adorable penguin. Paleontologists have tried to recreate what raptors would have looked like back in the Cretaceous Period and it's not very appealing. Test audiences were shown two versions of a raptor, one true to the animal, the other featherless and more reptilian. Needless to say, test audiences wanted to see the latter more than the mini ostrich with a long tail." Mike pulled a photo from his folder and handed it to Brick.

The folder showed a larger, featherless creature with the same tail that stood straight. Due to having a larger body, the tail was more proportional to the second styled raptor than the first. The raptor's skin was a teal hue and its eyes were an amber color. It had three claws on each "hand", the second digits extending out further than the others. Glancing down at the feet, Brick noticed, one of the digits on each foot stood out. The digits were raised off the ground, the claws larger than any other that made up the feet.

"This is going to be one of your girls. She, unlike the others, has extra nodules on her head, due to a mixture with avian DNA." Mike pointed to the raptor's obital ridge and her snout. His pointer finger moved to the second digits on her feet. "These are her sickle claws and you will stay as far from them as possible. Raptors use it to hunt. Unlike a lion, they do not go for the jugular. A raptor will disembowel you."

A sheet of paper was handed to Brick while Mike walked over to one of the computers. "They are bipedals believed to run at approximately 40 miles per hour – or do you know kilometers cause that's about 60. Fast little suckers. We intend to test their speed. Some say they may be as fast as a cheetah. My lovely little Rexy goes 32 miles an hour, but my girl gets performance shy." Glancing down at the sheet, Brick noticed it was a cheat sheet of sorts. Filled with heights, weights, speeds, both for real raptors and Jurassic World raptors. A raptor's diet, information on where it's fossils were found, and a plethora of other things were printed. "Memorize that sheet. I typed it up last night and it will be your lifeline. Most basic information on a raptor you'll ever need."

* * *

"Robin, dearest, light of my life! Where's John?" The sole inhabitant of the room shook her head, but didn't look up from whatever she was writing on her tablet. Was that actual shit on the table? The woman placed her tablet down, replacing it for a pair of black rubber gloves reaching her elbows. Yup, just stuck her hands into the pile of shit.

"If you're just gonna stand there make yourself useful, grab the pen and start jotting things down." Mike swiftly took a seat beside her, pen and tablet at the ready. Was she describing poop? What the hell had he gotten himself into? The woman looked up at him with a small smile.

"You're the new handler correct?" Nodding, he glanced out the glass door. Did they have a can of aerosol?

"Good luck with this idiot. Heard he had to _wash Rexy_ today." The woman's voice curt, her blue eyes narrowing at the idiot who bashfully looked anywhere but her. He washed a Tyrannosaurus Rex? What, gave it a bubble bath?

"Just cause I work as a handler does not mean I have a death wish. It's a run-on joke between Bloss and I." Robin mumbled something about not being very funny. The male glared back at her before turning to Brick, "Whenever I do something wrong, Cavadini makes my penalty to clean the paddock by myself. Somewhere along the way, the story warped into me cleaning Rexy herself. I _am_ the most fearless handler now, so there's that." Robin may or may not have shoved him still wearing the gloves.

The two worked quietly, Robin speaking only to explain things she found. They concluded that the asset who left these droppings had roundworm, but they could not for the life of them figure out how. An array of possible scenarios were being spit-balled, Brick offering a few of his own after learning about the dinosaur that left the droppings, though none seemed to be the right answer.

"She lives in the petting zoo correct?" The duo nodded. "Maybe a child fed her something not realizing it was infected?" Brick watched as the duo contemplated the idea.

"It is possible." Robin mumbled, shifting through the droppings once more, "But first thing's first, we need this parasite taken care of. I'll email Bubs and Bloss to explain the situation. The triceratops needs to be quarantined and the petting zoo needs to be checked over for contamenants. Fuck!" Brick and Mike both jumped at her volume. "Roundworm?! How the hell did she get roundworm?! The paddock is cleaned _constantly_ and Bubbles is the best handler in the whole park! Just fuck!"

People slowly began filtering into the lab, while Robin furiously ripped her gloves off. A tall male with salt-n-pepper hair walked over to their table.

"Any ideas yet?" Robin grunted out a yes, glaring at her phone as she typed.

"Brick, this is Dr. John Utonium. Jurassic World's head geneticist. Sadly, I do not know everything about Velociraptors. I know more than most people, but not as much as Mr. Utonium. Again sadly, he is a very busy scientist, doing whatever it is very busy scientists do," that statement garnered a laugh from the older male, "so your study time with him is limited. Hence why you are stuck with moi. I'll let you two get acquainted."

"My daughter explained your experience is with jungle cats. What you're going to be doing will be similar, just in a jungle 75 million years older." That confirmed one of his questions. "A leading paleontologist proposed that raptors live and hunt in packs, like your feline friends. We intend on studying not only if raptors are social creatures, but also hunting behaviors, their believed intelligence, and many other hypotheses."

They wanted to learn hunting behaviors? How would they simulate a hunting scenario? There was only so much space for them to hunt.

"As you may know, Velociraptors are carnivorous." Dr. Utonium started but Mike's voice cut in over the older male's.

"He just knows they're extinct and the ancestors of chickens."

Brick watched the older male let out a small smile, "He's somewhat right, no need to sound so perturbed. Velociraptors are ancestors to birds in general."

Mike smirked and sent Brick a wink. Annoying little shit. "Hence why he only gets a 75 on his initial understanding of raptors. It's a passing grade but for a guy who graduated Summa Cum Laude, it's not passable."

How had he known that? Brick hadn't said anything to the handler about his schooling on their walk over. Hell, he didn't even know if the handler had received a higher education. He assumed, but as the saying goes, when you assume it makes an ass out of you and me.

Robin stood up, pulling her chestnut colored top knot from its confines, her face unreadable. Her azule blue eyes met with the older male's charcoal ones. A silent conversation occurred before him. Dr. Utonium sighed, gesturing his hand towards the glass doors. Something was wrong. He knew the dinosaur had roundworms, he was present when she realized what was infecting the triceratops. Why did they need to take their conversation into the hall – and they're walking down hall out of view. Mike, who had situated himself on top of a different tabletop, glanced over each lab technician's face. His eyes began to soften and a small, sad smile. The male looked as if he was reminiscing something.

"Nuke the shit out of your hands just in case."

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium, Bubbles Utonium

 **From:** Robin Synder

 **Subject:** Holy Shit

Figured out what's wrong with the triceratops, she has roundworm(s). Needs to be quarantined. Already briefed your father unit. He's setting up the quarantined room as we speak. Still unclear how she became infected. Working theory, proposed by Mr. Raptor Handler himself is a child fed something that was infected with eggs. Paddock needs to be cleared and cleaned to prevent a further infection. Sorry loves.

Robin

* * *

 **To:** Bubbles Utonium, Robin Synder

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** Re: Holy Shit

I'm calling MVU and BC as we speak, should be there in 10. We'll close the petting zoo for right now, give you time to clean. I'm sending more vets to check on the rest of the babies. Mitch is calling maintenance to bring insecticide. Thank you Robin, and Bubbles, your girl's going to be perfectly fine, roundworms are treatable. Just wish we had an inkling of what caused her infection.

Blossom Utonium

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium, Robin Synder

 **From:** Bubbles Utonium

 **Subject:** Re: Re Holy Shit

Tell MVU to get here ASAP, she's getting sick again. I'm already bringing the others in, hopefully none of the other girls were affected. _My poor babies_!

A mom just started yelling because I asked her to kindly leave the attraction. There is literally a triceratops getting sick and she's refusing to leave. Like why would you want to stay? Oh hey son let's take a picture with the sick dinosaur, it's going on social media!

* * *

 **Have any of you seen the feathered versions of Velociraptors? The first one I saw was creepy and unnerving, hence why Brick is unnerved by the drawing. I've seen some pretty cool ones and ones I would not want to run into in a dark alley – or a kitchen in the spirit of Jurassic canon.**

 **Hey guys just wondering what you think? I'm trying to get back into writing and I was wondering what people liked about this, what they didn't like about it?**


	3. Chapter 3

**I've never written in anyone else's point of view besides Blossom and in Brick's a few times. (I wrote in Boomer's but it was for a segment.)**

 **Here's my first attempt at Buttercup...**

* * *

 **To: Red One**

Are you still coming today? If you are, I recommend you bring a change of clothes that you're comfortable running in.

 **From: Red One**

How did you rope me into this again?

 **To: Red One**

Alcohol makes you adventurous. I've learned to exploit the hell out of it as DD.

 **To: Red One**

Let it be noted that I probably would have died from the amount of alcohol you consumed. Congrats on your alcohol tolerance?

* * *

"Everyone, this is Big Brother." Buttercup introduced, gesturing to the redhead beside her. "Big Brother, these are the maggots."

By maggots she meant her lovely horde of daredevils known as the Asset Containment Unit, well lovely horde plus one idiot who deserved a swift kick aimed right to the crotch. Speaking of idiots whom are well deserving of a crotch shot, he was currently trying to put on the smolder for her sister. And no matter what Blossom claims, she was not laughing her ass off at his attempt. Blossom had a type and that type was smart males who were going somewhere with their lives. Not the Dodo brain before them. Or her stupid ex who is also deserving of the swift kick to the crotch treatment.

"As you know Big Brother is _always_ watching. Big Brother shall be joining us for a bit today to test yours truly to make sure O'Brien is on her game." Half of her maggots, not surprisingly that half included the idiot, seemed confused by her sentence. "Did y'all not read _1984_? Recommend you read it, even if Winston is a whiny, little bitch."

Ignoring the rolling of her sister's eyes, she pointed towards the ACU van, "Y'all know your assignments."

The horde began to split up into pairs and sadly she was stick with the idiot still in training. Grinning like a loon – was that his attempt at being seductive? Again, she was not laughing her ass off – the idiot sauntered over to the pair.

"Ladies."

"I'm going to go change, is that good?" The idiot smirked, what was he planning?

"Don't ever change, we, or at least _I_ like you just the way you are." Okay fuck it, she was laughing. He just hit on his boss' sister, who happened to be his boss' boss. That was fucking beautiful, thank you. She hasn't laughed at someone that hard in a good 24 hours.

"Nah you don't have to, we're gonna do a patrol. Nothing too extravagant." Blossom nodded and climbed into the passenger's seat of the last ACU van bearing neon green rims. She liked green, sue her. It also helped her maggots remember which van not to drive. Because mama loves her van.

"You get the Bucket." Suck it idiot.

The van, although equipped with two rows of seating attached to the two back walls, had a special seat specifically for the newbies called "The Bucket". It's a simple plastic bucket, can be found at any local hardware store, placed slightly behind and centered between the two front seats. Made the newbie's ass go numb after sitting for a while and made her feel good telling the idiot to sit there. Blossom turned her head slightly, watching the idiot seat himself as comfortably as he could on the bucket. Her sister hadn't had to say anything but BC knew she didn't approve of the seating arrangements.

Oh well, her team, her rules.

"So…" the idiot started leaning forward to rest his elbows on the arm rest, "The Butch hasn't met you yet."

"If _the Butch_ wants to either stay employed or stay in possession of his procreation equipment he'll quit while he's ahead." In the rear-view mirror, lime green clashed with forest green daring the other to back down. Pink eyes were the one to break the glaring contest.

"Oh for the love of – " she exclaimed, turning in her seat to glare at BC, "One, you shouldn't threaten your employees with castration, definitely crossing a few HR lines somewhere." She then turned the rose-pink glare towards the idiot, "And two, I am your boss. Do not hit on me."

That caused the idiot to back up. Maybe BC didn't _always_ have to beat Neanderthals off with a bat for Blossom. Bubbles was a different story.

"Ready when you are." Mitch's nasally voice crackled over her comm.

Fucking finally.

She didn't want to do this to her sister but Blossom needed some sense knocked into her. She had been working too hard. Last week she racked in about 75 hours and worked all seven days. Buttercup understood a new exhibit was in the works but her sister was going to run herself into the ground if she didn't take a breather soon.

Over a lovely lunch while Blossoms went to the bathroom, Buttercup, Bubbles and the merry band of friends they've acquired over the years had come up with an idea. Drunkenly, Blossom agreed to running a drill with Buttercup and the rest of the ACU. Said she wished to observe the park's last line of defense in action. So-called "innocent" Bubbles came up with this part. Buttercup would push Blossom into the river in while she was wearing her suit. If there was one thing _everyone_ knew about her sister, it was that she would never be caught dead walking around in casual clothes – unless she was "incognito" testing out rides and attractions – and soppy wet. Blossom's hair took _forever_ to dry without a hair dryer, a hair dryer that Robin conveniently borrowed last night. It would give her sister at least an hour, maybe two to relax. Her assistant – whose name Buttercup may or may not have forgotten, again – had already been informed and is handling whatever paperwork their lovely Operations Manager intended on starting this afternoon as we speak.

Mom and dad may have given her _that_ look, the one where your parents aren't keen on your idea, but they didn't say _not_ to do it. Which in parent language basically means you have the a-okay.

Or at least that's what she was telling herself.

Over her comm she told him to hold, they were about a mile from the rendezvous point. Maybe she should pick up speed?

The road weaving along beside the Cretaceous River had one of the best views in the park. At least according to herself. Massive trees creating a canopy over the riverbank, sunlight peaking through the small gaps in the foliage. Tiny flowers twirled in a slow dance as they flew from their branches, decorating the glistening, blue surface.

Clear blue water! When she was little, she thought blue colored water was a myth, like the Loch Ness Monster or the Chupacapra - Bigfoot on the other hand was real. When they were five she and her sisters saw him in all his red haired glory with their own eyes; regardless what any adult told them.

At almost any bend in the river you could see a Stegosaurus tilting her head down to lap at the water or a Apartasaurus extending her long neck to nibble from leaves high in the trees. Herds of herbivores coexisting with meat-eaters as teeny humans strapped into kayaks made their way down the river. Truly made you feel small in the grand scheme of things.

Smiling softly, Buttercup pulled over near a tree on the opposite side of the road. Every time she drives this road, she silently thanked her nerd of a sister for having a dinosaur obsession.

"Alright, the rendezvous point is right over there." She began, pointing towards a small wooden dock. "Once there, I'll radio Mitch and you-" her gaze turned to the idiot behind her, "will take notes."

"Don't I always?" If a legal pad was thrown at his face, no one was there to witness it, Blossom had already climbed out of the van. "Didn't she say to be nice to me?"

"No, she said not to threaten castration. There was nothing in there about being nice."

Her sister was already standing on the small, wooden dock, glancing down the river at a small group of parkgoers paddling their way around a bend in blue kayaks. She looked so serene. Pulling out a small pair of binoculars, Buttercup looked in the opposite direction of her sister. Two of her team members were 100 feet away, stealthily surveying the perimeter to not startle either the patrons or the assets.

She heard Mitch whining over her comm about this taking too long. She cut off whatever it was he was muttering by saying, "Mitch. Go time."

"Fucking finally." Couldn't have said it better herself.

Her sister made this too easy, if she leaned any further (probably trying to get a better view of the Stegosaurus across the way), she'd fall in herself. But then again Miss Yogi over here had perfect balance, even in those death traps she called heels.

Heels are evil. Who would voluntarily want to cover their feet in blisters that would more than likely pop before you got a chance to switch into appropriate footwear, like her trusty combat boots?

Over their comms, they heard the voice of a female in the Control Room issuing a Code 19, Asset out of Containment. The woman's voice read off the scenario Buttercup had created: Unidentified asset located near the Cretaceous River, unsure if it is an asset from the attraction that short-circuited its tracking device or if it's from a nearby attraction and short-circuited both its tracking device and its shocking implant when it neared an invisible fence. If it's the latter, it's more than likely a Parchycephalosaurus that wandered through the restricted section. Approximately six feet in height, fifteen in length. Last seen at the river's two mile mark.

Let the games begin.

"I thought you said we were just doing a patrol! I need to get changed-" and in went her sister. Should she have written a will or something because once the drowned rat resurfaced BC's pretty little head was getting the Queen of Hearts treatment. Bubbles better stop whining about Blossom's mental health after this. Or at least share the blame.

Buttercup began barking out orders over the comm, the pair down the way had already climbed into the back of the truck to grab their equipment. Good.

"You better have a fucking good explanation for this!" She never knew her sister was part banshee. "This is my favorite blouse!"

Eh, salt water wasn't too bad on clothes. Then again her clothes were a different material than her sister's more delicate fabrics. Oops. Sorry not sorry. She'd buy her a new one next time they went to San Jose. Eh maybe not.

"Welcome to ACU. Always be prepared to get wet and or dirty."

"You told me not to change!"

"Well like the idiot- I mean Butch said. We don't want you to change, we like you just the way you are." Judging by that glare, something wicked Buttercup's way come. Is it too late to play the 'I love you' card?

Plopping herself rather gracefully considering her sopping wet self, Blossom tried to wring out her previously artfully done hair. Oops. She definitely should buy her a new shirt. Over the comm, her team explained their surroundings, their arsenal (non-lethals, net guns, etc.), how long before they reached the two mile marker, if they were going expanding the perimeter. None had no eyes on the asset.

"I want eyes in the next- three minutes." she said sternly, starting the stopwatch on her watch, "Judging by height it's either a Pachycephalosaurus or an adolescent. A Pachycephalosaurus would be tired after hiking all the way from her paddock. An adolescent approximately that size will more than likely be scared on her own. Find her."

"Are you listening to me?!"

"Sorry, currently doing my job. You're doing a horrible job as an ACU member." Her sister let out a wail, grabbing Buttercup by the shoulders and pulling them both into the water.

"Not gonna lie, wasn't expecting that."

"I HAVE A PARK TO RUN AND I'M WET!"

Her and the idiot spoke at the same time and did anything out of his mouth sound educated?!

"I have a team to run!"

"Not the good kind." The idiot even fucking winked. He was worse than whatshisface with the horrible wall of blond hair on top of his head. You'd think Blossom wore a necklace made of meat when he was near.

"Possible eyes. South southwest of the river. 70 paces off the path. We're making out a shape but nothing has appeared on the GPS scanner." Good almost there. "Looks to be grazing. Asset is hidden in shadow, can't make out breed. Probably herbivore, proceed?"

"Proceed with caution. If she's a Pachycephalosaurus, she may be tired but she will not hesitate to use her head."

A conformation was heard over the comm, as a duo proceeded towards the "asset". They explained more of what they could make out until finally. "Asset secured. Dummy dinosaur." A bunch of groans were heard over the comm, one even saying, "I thought it was real this time."

"Good drill, meet back at the hub. Assignments are divvied up and on the board." Getting several affirmatives, Buttercup turned back to her sister stomping her way to the van. "At least you have a change of clothes!"

That's not a nice finger.

"Your sister locked the door." The idiot called from the back if the van. Good job, obviously she wasn't getting changed. After a minute or two, a dark red mop stuck out the window. "Let's go."

"I like her."

"Get in line dumbass." Time to drop off the Little Mermaid over there to the Creation Center. Did she have a spare change of clothes at the Hub? Wearing a we uniform did not sound fun.

She had her sweats! She forgot she had sweats in her locker! Thank you gut for saying you cared more about food than cleaning out the locker.

* * *

"Should I ask why you're wet?" Why is he alone in the lab?

"Where's Michael? Feet off the table."

"Bathroom." Groaning, Blossom sank into one of the too many chairs littered around the table. Unkempt red stubble decorated across the male's jawline. A red baseball cap sat backwards atop his head. He looked the part of man one with nature, but could he act like the man one with nature? More specifically one with raptors.

Did he live in this faded red Henley, worn dark blue jeans combo or did he have a plethora of sister shirts?

"So… Why do you look like you stuck your head in the Atlantic?" She-Devils of a sister messing up her perfectly planned schedule. Thankfully she had her meeting _before_ she went to workout with ACU. Ha a workout? That was an ambush. She had yet to check on the raptor paddock; they were installing plumbing in the restrooms they constructed yesterday. She planned on checking both the landscaping and the progression of the public viewing area while there as well. She had to speak with the food staff management. Higher quantities of food needed to be purchased, meaning they had to find more local farms willing to sell to them. She had to speak with security. Last night, a brawl had broken out in the middle of _Margaritaville_ and no security guards were in the vicinity to break up the fight.

Fucking hell.

She could just call them. But she liked speaking to her employees face to face. Made the workplace more personal.

Fuck! Speaking of calling, she needed to speak with (read: yell at) the Patent and Trademark Office. They had yet to send confirmation on the Raptor DNA being patented.

"Is that a no on why you're dropping all over my shoe?"

"Hardly. You're on the other side of the table."

"I was starting to think you zoned out. Welcome to the world of the living."

Ignoring the comment, her eyes danced over the all white room. Several white lab coats hung up on pegs near the entrance, black rubber gloves peaking out from one of the pockets. Most of the scientists vacated the room during study sessions, few stopping in every so often to check vital signs of the eggs in the incubator, or that the eggs were at the proper temperature.

"Oh! The apartment will be available on Monday. I apologize profoundly for not having it ready sooner. We assumed a handler would not be found as soon as we did. The day I put in for the floor to be fumigated was the same day we ended up hiring you. Again, I cannot apologize enough. We've reserved the best room on the floor for you as an apology for the inconvenience. Twice the size of the normal apartments, a spectacular view of the whole island, and currently you'd be the only one on the floor."

Brick shook his head and leaned back in his seat. "I like where I am now."

"You like the trailer?"

They begrudgingly put him up in a small, one person trailer upon his arrival. You could walk the length of the trailer in less than 30 seconds. It had no heat or air conditioning. It was temporary housing they only had to use once before and the woman stayed in it a total of two nights. Somehow she had flooded her apartment within a week of moving in and she hadn't made many friends at the point.

"It's… I don't know, calming?" Calming? You had to keep the windows open at night in order not to sweat to death, but by doing that you leave yourself as the sole entree to a mosquito banquet.

"It's quiet. Kinda reminds me of my hovel back in Africa. Listening to the sounds of nature as it lulls you into a deep, serene sleep." You could always buy those weird noise machines that simulate the sounds of nature. "Plus it's parked like a mile away from the paddock, saving the environment by utilizing less fuel, right?"

Made sense.

"Alright. I get it, air of mystery and whatnot." He let out a short chort. "I'll put in an order for an air conditioning unit to be placed in the van."

"Thank you kindly." He said, smirk returning. Brick leaned further back in his seat, resting on the rear two legs of the chair.. Their eyes locked as they tried to obtain some understanding of who the other was. In his current position, he looked more like a daredevil than a zoologist. Then again he did stick his head in a lion's mouth and agreed to be a Velociraptor handler. He seemed to enjoy flirting with death.

At the sound of the glass doors opening, the pair broke eye contact and Brick's chair returned to four legs on the floor.

"Blossy! Soul of my universe." The statement garnered an icy pink glare. "Okay I'll admit that was a bad one. To what do we, mere mortals, owe the pleasure of your casually dressed company?"

"To my sister pushing me in the freaking river." She growled. Brick finally got his answer. Mike's eyes shifted away from his friend's direction, focusing on the eggs encased in their incubator instead. They should be hatching soon.

"Michael?" She propped herself up on her elbows, "Do you have something you wish to share with the class?" Eyes shifted once more towards the clock on the wall. "Maybe along the lines of why I'm in workout clothes and dripping water all over Brick's shoes?"

He grabbed several books off the table the pair was seated at, hugging the tomes tightly to his chest. He and Brick were very busy. Busy, busy, _busy_ in fact. Had to teach everything about Velociraptors to a newbie in the world of prehistoric zoology. Well maybe not a noob, he did have a degree in zoology. The idiot with a head full a bricks (heehee) had to have some understanding of animal behavior. A minor prerequisite if you will.

"Michael." Curt voice was never good. Michael knew this. Especially when she opted to use 'Michael' instead of 'Mike.' Only his mother called him Michael regularly.

"BC had this grand idea that by keeping you from your work for an hour or two, you'd stop running yourself ragged." Hiding himself as best he could behind the books, Mike continued, "I didn't tell you that. Your sisters will have my head." Why couldn't the reference books Jurassic World possessed be longer. How is anyone supposed to disappear from those cold, pink eyes. He could drop the book and run, or he could use the hardcover as a shield. If leather jackets could protect bikers against road rash, it could protect him against sodden Operations Managers.

"Who is BC?" Brick asked from his seat. He continuously heard about their bi-lettered friend. He had yet to put a face to name.

"My soon to be fired sister." Rose colored eyes narrowed, while crimson ones widened. Another Utonium?! Did they just came with the park? You get a Utonium, and you get a Utonium!

Peeking his head out from the side of the tome, Mike commented, "You know if you keep threatening to fire us but not go through with it, it soon becomes an empty threat."

Blossom's phone chirped, "You're lucky I have a park to run." That look didn't bode well for Michael - or any of his cohorts.

* * *

 **From: Bubbles**

I love you. Drinks on me. You're beautiful. I like my job a lot. You're the best sister in the world. Even if you work too much. I love you. Please don't fire me.

 **From: Bubbles**

Did I mention I love you?

* * *

 _High block, low block, middle block, low block, middle block, middle block._

"You're off your game."

Blowing a stray blonde curl out of her face, Bubbles glared. "No I'm not."

 _Middle block, middle block, high block, middle block._

"You haven't landed one hit, let alone get me to the ground."

The punches became swifter. _Middle block, low block, low block, high block._

"You have four black belts! I just have a blue belt!"

To be accurate, they were performing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, in which Buttercup is in possession of a coral belt. She's got a little under forty years before she can go for the final red belt and obtain the title of grandmaster.

 _High block, high block._ Bubbles lowered her arms from her readied stance, heels sinking back into the carpet.

"Has she spoken to you yet?" With a sigh, Buttercup exited fighting stance, of course that's what Bubbles had been distracted with; Blossom had yet to speak to either of them for the past two days. Or anyone for that matter. Robin, Mike, hell even Mitch who works in the Control Room with her has yet to hear a peep from Blossom. "I didn't think she'd be this mad. I thought after an hour or two she'd be fine."

Running a hand through her tangled locks, Buttercup let out another sigh. "From what Mom's told me, it's not us. Okay yes, she was a bit P. over being pushed into the river and all of her friends being clued in on what happened. Mostly at the two of us for being involved, but she's put that behind her. Around the end of the day yesterday, she got a call from Princess."

"Ew."

"Exactly." Buttercup fell back into fighting stance, "Said _Daddy Dearest_ wants to open up another one of his disgustingly lavish hotels in San Josè. Wants to catch up. She's probably going to set up another one of those," raising the pitch of her voice, Buttercup continued "eleven course meals in the penthouse suite, followed by an after dinner coffee out on the veranda while the men drank brandy and smoked cigars."

What was this 1912?

The Morebucks clan would be visiting within the next month. They met Princess Morebucks back when they lived in Townsville, they had unfortunately been placed in the same kindergarten class. Princess was brash, rude, and loud - even at five years old. She couldn't remember exactly how it came to be but Princess and Blossom for as long as they've known each other, have been "enemies". A label Princess dubbed for their relationship. Maybe it was who had the better reddish hair (Blossom, Blossom did), or maybe it was because Blossom's friendship couldn't be bought like a few kids in their class. Ever since Princess made it her goal in life to prove she and Blossom were two different people with two different lifestyles.

Bubbles halfheartedly fell into fighting stance as well, "You mean host a banquet for her to rub it in our faces she doesn't have to work? Or tell us all about whatever wealthy male that is just _perfect_ for us, we'll be set for life." She brought a eighty-three year old to the dinner for Blossom one year. He slept through half of the courses and the other half yelled in Blossom's year about those damned kids stealing his petunias. Match made in hell.

 _High block, high block, low block, hey nice throwing of a front kick in there, blocked but still nice attempt, high block._ Bubbles had been practicing with the bag too much, needed to work more with living opponents. Nice roundhouse, needed to twist her right heel slightly more to keep her weight balanced. Rapid secession kicks nice – spoke too soon, down went Bubbles.

"Pay attention to your ankle or else you'll end up on the ground Where you want your opponent to be." Glancing up at the clock, Buttercup noticed it was a quarter after eight. "We should end for the day. I'm running the beach tomorrow in full gear and you're not in the right headspace. If you're that worried, stop by her apartment." Damn that meant she'd have to move all the furniture back. Eh, the coffee table could stay pushed against the couch for a night.

* * *

Nestled on the main floor of the employee complex, between the gym and the QuikStop stood a small fifties themed diner – a usual haunt of her redheaded family members. Speaking of redheaded family members, upon entering a figure sat in her usual booth in the back right corner She sat surrounded by notes, armed with a pen, and a large cup of tea precariously left on the table. The park had yet to open, yet there she was, hard at work already. Fingers crossed she was writing a novel or combing through conspiracy theories. Otherwise another dip in the Cretaceous Cruise river needed to be arranged.

Lightly rapping her knuckles against the tabletop to gain her sister's attention, Buttercup gestured to the booth seat opposite her, "Can we sit?"

"Yes, sorry of course." Paper piles were shifted to allow both she and Mitch room. As soon as they sat down, her sister's attention had been sucked back in by the paper vortex. Was Mom wrong? Was she still mad?

Can't be, Mom's never wrong. Right?

"Are we-" she attempted, her voice trailing off. Apologizes had never been a strong trait of hers. She never knew what to say. A simple I'm sorry? Are we good? How's your outfit? Sorry we care about your mental health more than the park?

A soft hand grasped onto hers, pink eyes soft and directed at Buttercup. "Oh sweetie, I was mad for but a moment. Honest. I apologize for not telling you this earlier. You know I can never stay mad at the two of you, especially when you believe it's the right thing to do."

Clutching the hand, Buttercup tried to convey everything she wished to say. Even though Buttercup could read emotions, she could never properly display hers. Hidden behind a wall of sarcasm and resting bitch face. After being together since the womb, Blossom learned to decipher Buttercup's actions and their underlying meanings. She was sorry, so sorry. It was childish, pushing her in a river instead of speaking to her about everyone's concerns.

A thumb rubbed the back of Buttercup's hand. At least her sister wasn't mad at her. Just not in the right headspace, if the untouched cup of tea was any indication. With a soft smile, pink eyes darted back to the ream before them, black ink scribbling across the sheets.

"What are you up to tonight?" Mitch's voice seemed uncharacteristically joyous. Especially for such an obscenely early hour – no matter if she woke at six am, any time before noon was an ungodly time. Or any time prior to caffeine infusing into her bloodstream. Remember, time isn't real. It's simply a concept created by people trying to sell you something by the name of a 'clock'.

"More than likely heating up leftovers and falling asleep halfway through last night's Al Diablo con Amor." Crap she forgot to record last night's episode! Not that she watches telenovelas. Pssh, that's for hopeless romantics with too little time on their hands – and now she won't know what happened with Maria and Anton!

"It's a Friday!" Solid observation. Why did Mitch look bewildered at the idea of Blossom staying in for a weekend of well-deserved sleep? Hadn't the whole pushing of one's sister into a river been to get the redhead to see reason and knock the fuck out at a practical hour. (Though to reiterate, time wasn't real.)

"And tomorrow is a Saturday, congrats on knowing the days of the week." Maybe she was a bit deserving of the glare he sent her way.

Placing her pen down, Blossom began tracing her pointer finger over a small box on one of the pages, lining up what was written in one column with what was written in the other. "It's not just any Saturday. Tomorrow, Princess arrives at 11 am."

"Then let's get shitfaced!" Why was he being adamant on her staying out for a night? Blossom wanted to sleep. Blossom _would_ sleep if she had anything to do with it.

"I'd prefer not having a hangover while she's present." Buttercup couldn't tell if Blossom took a sip from her cup to accent her point or because she happened to be thirsty. She hoped it was the former, sassy Blossom was best Blossom. It took a moment for Blossom's words to register, only to be replaced by a shrill, nasally voice demanded her attention.

"Damn, I didn't think a hangover could get worse, but then the Frizzball's voice rang in my head…"

Ignoring her comment, Mitch's gaze had yet to leave Blossom. "Then what about tomorrow night?"

"Dude, she's here for a week and a half."

Finally, his staring at her sister had become strange. Why was Mitch engrossed by Blossom? His current state had him hanging off every word. When his dark eyes met her lime ones, something in the universe shifted. He looked uninterested to be having this conversation with her.

"Seriously?"

"Prepare for a weight-conscience Bubbles. All ten days you'll hear, how many calories is that? Or does this make me look chubby? My personal favorite is –"

Mitch seemed to ignore her statement once more. Directing his focus back on the redhead with a nose in her notes, pen back in hand swiftly placing annotations in the margins. He leaned forward, elbows on the table, as if shifting closer would will her to lift her gaze. What was this?

"Then next Friday or Saturday. We can go have a drink or two. Maybe more. Enjoy the fact the walking ball of frizz has vacated."

What the hell was this? Never had she been excluded from a conversation with Mitch. But right now, she felt nonessential, as if she weren't sitting in the booth with them, just a mere fly occupying a wall.

Mitch's front teeth dug into his bottom lip, hands fiddling with a blue sugar packet. Why was he so nervous? His index finger flexed forwards ever so slightly, reaching out towards the woman across from them. Is this what she thinks this is? The finger drew back in, fiddling once more with the sugar packet. His eyes on the other hand, never averted from Blossom.

Ew, it was.

"Blossom, didn't you say you had to _stop by_ the Creation Center? _To check_ on how Brick's doing?" Confused pink eyes drifted up from her notes, head tilting slightly to the left. Mitch leaned even further onto his elbows. Why did her sister have to be attractive?!

"Huh?"

Did she not hear _the tone_? Blossom was the reigning queen of using _that tone_ to get whomever it was directed at to understand there was an underlying message. Brushing a loose strand of hair from in front of her sister's face, Buttercup continued, "Told me to remind you about _sitting in_ on one of their lessons."

Eyes widening in understanding, previously meticulously ordered notes were hastily shoved into a pile of disarray. Sheets of paper peaking out at all different angles.

"Right! I did, didn't I? Thank you for reminding me. Adios, arrivederci, zài jiàn. Insert other ways to say goodbye in languages the park utilizes." Rushing out of the booth, Blossom grabbed her purse and shoved the papers inside. Blossom _hated_ crumpled papers. With a subtle nod, she flew out of the shop, calling out of her shoulder, "See you two later! Hopefully the lab is still in tack!"

She forgot her tea.

Sliding into the seat Blossom vacated, her right hand wrapped over Mitch's. Dark eyes drifted over to the condiments littered at the end of the table. Now he's embarrassed?

"Really? In front of me?"

Eyes then drifted to look out the window. Really? He should know by now, averting her gaze never ended well. You could ask the x number of people she interrogated while working for Park Security.

"What are you taking about?"

Quiver in the voice, thumbs twiddling, even a bead of sweat dripped down the side of his face. This was her favorite part of interrogations, making people squirm and by was he making it too easy.

"Boy, you know what I'm talking about."

Damn, he met her eyes. Where did this renewed sense of self-confidence come from? His sugar packet security blanket?

"Can I ask for a clue?"

His eyes narrowed in annoyance. The quiver in his voice dropped, replaced with steel. Dumbass, he should know to never swim out in open waters with a known shark presence. Leaning back in her seat, she crossed her arms at her chest. For good measure she even propped her feet up on his lap.

"More like asking for a date."

At least he had known to look ashamed.

"Plead the fifth?"

She couldn't stop the smirk that began to grow. Here there was no protection against self-incrimination. The weasel wasn't weaseling his way out of this.

"Hon, when it comes to my sisters I'm Judge, Jury, and Executioner. Now talk."

His renewed self-confidence had taken a sharp left turn. No longer did he stand his ground nor did he look abashed and nervous. Presently, Mitch looked defeated as he ripped open the sugar packet, granulates sprinkling about the tabletop.

"I can't tell you when it started. One day she was simply my boss and my best friend's _older_ sister." Little shit knew she hated when people pointed out the difference in mere minutes. Even had enough gall to smirk. But the moment it formed, the smirk fell replaced with a small frown. "The next it was like a spotlight shone just on her."

Cheesy line, something more up Bubbles' alley than Blossom. She preferred more classic than cheese. Like a guy giving her a rose.

"I felt torn. Not only is she my boss, but she's _your_ sister. I couldn't betray you like that. No matter how hard I tried it didn't go away."

"When you say how hard you tried, are you inferring to the date with one miss Robin Synder?"

Mitch gave a small nod before continuing, "I'm sorry BC, truly. But Blossom _has_ dated an employee before, well after becoming Operations Manager –" Mitch's voice drifted off, but she could fill in the blanks. Maybe she would be inclined to choose him.

God dammit it, this was not how she planned on spending her morning.

* * *

 **Hey guys. Sorry for the delay, especially since it's a rather dull chapter. Calm before the storm right? I travel constantly for work every day, all over the place and when I get home all I want to do is eat and sleep. I intended on this being up on Tuesday but it was a long day at work and the next day, I decided maybe I should walk at graduation, even though I finished a semester ago. I am officially a college grad!**

 **I also may have binged all of** _ **Riverdale**_ **these past few days. I have red hair and my goal is to get my hair to look like Cheryl Blossom's. PLUS, THEY HAVE LUKE PERRY! I had the biggest crush on him when I was eight and watched** _ **Buffy the Vampire Slayer**_ **for the first time.**

 **While I was editing the chapter, my mom put on _Jurassic Park_... I found it funny.**


	4. Chapter 4

**It would be really cool if I could remember that Isla Nublar is west of Costa Rica meaning it's in the Pacific. I edited the other chapters because I suck as a Jurassic Park fan…**

 **Your girl was jamming to** _ **Slow Hands**_ **(because Niall gives me life) while I working on a scene from a few chapters down the line and I'm like no bad, this is PG-13. Niall stop making this not PG-13.**

 **Also here's my attempt at Butch's pov**

* * *

Working at the park was a decently sweet gig. 75% off food at _any_ stand in the park – this did not carry over to any of the food joints in the employee district but whatever. The gift shop has insane discounts as well. His apartment is killer. The far wall in his living room is made completely of glass, allowing an incredible view of the Pacific. Fuck was this better than his shithole two bedroom/one bath back home. Nine floor walk up because why have an elevator that worked. His bachelors pad's marvelous view was of the building next door. The best part of his old apartment hands down had to be the old lady a floor up. Every Sunday, she would bake aromatic pies that tasted even better than they smelled and she'd bring everyone in the complex a slice.

Man, pie sounded great right about now.

Bare feet pounded against the sand, picking up speed as he went. Granulates sweeping up to brush against his calves with each step he took. Pushing himself harder, he elongated each stride to cover more ground. Running barefoot had not been a luxury he could afford recently. As a child, he would kick off his shoes and race anyone in the neighborhood. After his father's job became less productive as it once was, money became tighter and they moved into a different shithole apartment a few blocks from his currently shithole apartment. He missed this feeling, wind racing through his hair. He almost felt as if he could fly. On the horizon, the small speck that is the East Dock slowly came into view.

Slowing his pace to a halt, he clicked the stopwatch button on his watch.

"Dammit." He cursed. That was his slowest time all week.

A large, blue and white freighter decorated in red, orange, and yellow metal shipping containers, obstructed part of his view of the ocean. Six am, right on time. From what he's witnessed, most of the shipping containers hauled several tons of food; beef patties, fruits, vegetables, hot dogs, etc.

Some did carry other things, such as toiletries or office supplies.

He glanced at his watch once more to make note of the time when he noticed a silhouette out on the water. The ship sat too far out for him to make out what it was but judging from the fact the boat was the size of his thumb at this distance, the ship must be large. Seemed too large to be a yacht, but too small to be a cruise liner.

That was unusual.

Taping the screen on his watch, he pulled up the option to create a message. Quickly typing out his observations, he began his trek back where he came from. Time to get ready for work.

* * *

Taking a final swing of his drink, he tapped two fingers on the countertop to gain the attention of the bartender, who told him just a moment. Turning on his stool, he observed the general splendor of the establishment. The center of the room opened to a small dancefloor littered with bodies, some raising their glasses as they moved to the beat, other engrossed by their dance partners. Dark mahogany high tops created a wall around the dancefloor, each high top filled beyond capacity. Scanning over the crowds, everyone looked as if the world could end but as long as they were there it didn't matter.

Must be nice to haven't a care.

One table in particular stood out. Possibly it was because of the fact it less populous compared to some of the other tables, the company is what caught his attention. Dead ahead sat two women, one with molten copper tresses cascading over one shoulder, the other with bi-colored hair. Brown that was almost black fell in choppy waves just above her shoulders, the bottom portion of her hair dyed an electric green. When had she done that? He saw her only a few hours prior. The not-actually-brunette brunette turned to face someone on her right, exposing the left side of her head where there was a now buzzed section of hair. Looking back her eyes locked with his, the color of her hair making the lime green of her eyes pop more. The narrowing of eyes and the crossing of arms sent a clear message; what was he doing here? As if to answer, he rose the glass the bartender (who honestly makes the best Long Island Iced Teas) had just refilled. Rolling her eyes, she turned her attention back to whomever in their horde was talking. Just a guess but he thinks it's the guy with honey colored hair, judging by his arm flamboyant gestures. Turning his attention back towards the two females in front of him, he noticed rose colored eyes in his direction. She gave him a small smile before gesturing her hand to one of the seats.

Did she not understand her sister didn't like him?

She smiled at him once more before turning her head back towards the honey haired one. Should he join them? They were coworkers and he technically only knew two of them. Half of that duo would prefer him not to be in the same country as her let alone the same building. Then again the other fifty percent just offered him a spot. Taking a sip of his newest drink, he pushed himself from the bar. When life gives you lemons, you make a lemon drop.

As he approached, Blossom said something to a group at the table behind them. The extra chair offered up almost instantly. He had a chair just where to put it? Eight people crowded around the too-small high top, the only opening beside a redhaired male and a brunette male whose hair looked as if it has never seen a comb. Then again the redhaired male's hair wasn't any better, maintained in a low messy bun.

"Everyone, this is Butch. He's a member of the ACU. Butch, this is my sister Bubbles, that's Robin –

If he was being completely honest he may have toned out El Jefe. La Jefa? He barely passed Spanish in high school. Too many faces, not enough effort to fake caring. Turning his attention towards his boss (not The Boss), he noticed an array of watercolor murals snaking up her right arm. Thick black lines dragging you away from certain areas while vibrant greens red, and blue hues drawing your gaze to others. Her sleeve was both eye-catching and definitely expensive.

He made a note to find out the name of the artist. He had a new one in mind but he's unfamiliar with the tattoo scene here in San Josè.

"Some of your hair is missing." The redhead beside him snorted into his glass.

That was not a very work friendly finger. Good thing she wasn't on the clock. Taking another sip from his drink, he surveyed the crowd around him. The [willowy] brunette seated beside Boss (capital letter needed) is currently participating in the Olympics of climbing out of chairs. And she sticks the landing! She whispered something in Blossom's ear and the redhead nodded. She climbed out of her chair much more gracefully then the giggling brunette. The world's shortest game of telephone took place before him; Blossom whispered to the not-really-brunette, not-really-brunette whispered to the bubbly little blonde beside her sipping on a colorful cocktail. The latter two stayed put as the former two disappeared into the crowd.

"How come they never ask if I have to pee?" Gray eyes scanned over the crowd searching for the pair.

"Because we don't like you." The blond giggled. Contrary to her statement, she rested her head against his shoulder. "Right BC, we don't like people named Michael."

His boss smirked (lower case also needed), raising her glass in accord. "New rule to add to the list, Michaels are not allowed at our high tops."

This may be a shot in the dark, but the honey-haired, gray-eyed one might be named Michael, but again that is a pure guess.

Michael placed his drink down and slung his left arm over the blonde's shoulder as she adjusted herself to become more comfortable. The blonde fought a losing battle against her drooping eyelids painted a lovely champagne. Fingers curled around the stem of the blonde's glass, pulling it slowly from her grasp towards his boss seated beside her. If Buttercup wanted a cocktail she could have just gotten her own.

"The lightweight has reached her limit." Blowing a raspberry at her sister, the blonde reached once again for her glass, muttering something about not being the lightweight. It was actually kind of adorable. Small fingers almost reaching the glass stem before Buttercup removed the baby blue umbrella and knocked the drink back.

Nice.

"Hey! That's mine!" She received a shrug in response. Making a face, the blonde glared at her sister, "That's why Michael here is my bestest friend."

Lime green eyes tauntingly glanced over the rim of her own near empty glass, "I thought you hated him."

"No. I hate you." The blonde said proudly, snuggling into Michael's arm, "He lets me use him as a pillow and cares for my liver when my dear sisters do not." Her head then shot up as she pulled him into a (sloppy) bear hug, " _Let me tell you bout my best friend_." She may not have hit the proper notes, but for a drunk, at least she was in key.

"Oh fuck she's singing." Buttercup's hands slammed against her ears trying to block out any further performances from the blonde - he kind of forgot her name already. "Please for all that is good, do not finish that verse." Buttercup pleaded.

She had the bluest eyes he had ever seen. He couldn't quite put his finger on the color. They were not as light as baby blues, yet they were not as piercing as electric blue. They were a compelling shade. Cornflower maybe? He had no clue as to why cornflower was labeled as a blue when corn itself is yellow, but hey Crayola didn't employee him. What he did know was that the Utonium sisters had the most amazing eye colors. One with striking green, one with glistening pink, and one with a cool blue shade.

"I won't sing the song for you, you wanna know why? Because you're tacky and I hate you." Aside from him and the redhead, the table erupted in laughter, the blonde sporting a proud smile through her giggles. Michael looped his arm over her shoulder again, the pointer finger of his right hand gesturing to the blonde.

"Can we just take a moment to appreciate her perfect use of a quite fitting quote while inebriated?" He dropped his arm from her shoulder, "Honestly, I'm sold that she is sober after that one. Do you want another?"

As the blonde almost falls backwards in her chair.

"Blossom dear! You missed it!" The blonde chirped as their redhaired boss/sister climbed back into her place beside Buttercup. "I did a quote!"

Although an eyebrow was raised in question, no one sought to give her an answer. To be honest she did not seem that surprised, just sipped her drink, which was not there before. Did she take that to the bathroom with her?

"First rule of going to a bar." All four women responded in unison. Shit, had he said that a loud? The redheaded male beside him raised an eyebrow this time.

"I wasn't informed there was a formal list." The blonde giggled, wringing a napkin in her hand. The NAB brunette glared at her sister. Let the tiny lightweight have fun. Obviously the napkin was quite amusing to her drunken state. He wanted to be on her level, where everything in the world was hunky dory. Conversations at the table shifted, mainly talking about subjects to which he and the redhaired male were unacquainted. Loved being awkwardly out of the loop. After a few minutes, Blossom bit her bottom lip, apologizing for excluding them from their conversation.

Brushing her electric green strands over her shoulder, Buttercup got up, asking if anyone needed a refill. The messy haired brunette beside him who needed an emergency trip to the dentist as well as a quiet, tanned male stood to accompany her to the bar. Weaving her way around the high-top he got a glimpse of the tattoo on her left forearm. It was very geometric in shape but he had no clue what the hell it was – it was an elephant. Her shifting around a gyrating couple had allowed him a better glimpse of the artwork. Pure black lines of varying thicknesses twisted about forming an array of shapes that made up the elephant. A thick black circle resembling a single brush stroke encased the tattoo, the closer the line came to the starting point, the lighter it became. Interesting design.

"Oh right! I have a friend I graduated with who has a degree in IT. He's been working for this company for about a year now but due to financial issues they had to downsize his department, kinda the lowest on the totem pole." He ran a hand over his hair. "I just wanted to know if you guys had any positions in your IT field."

Blossom bit her lip as she thought, "I can't tell you that off the top of my head but either have him shot me an email or you can give me his resume."

The two were about to continue their conversation when the blonde reprimanded him, "Brick! No talking about work related nonsense during drinking hours." She even shook her finger at him.

"Brick? Like the wall?" He snorted out a laugh. Red eyes narrowed in his direction.

"Butch that was mean, be nice." The blonde reprimanded once more. How did the drunk remember his name but he could not remember hers?! Brick's lips cured into a smirk. Go ahead, try and make fun of his name. It literally meant manly. Which he totally was, his shirt even showed off the guns he sported.

"I like how you poked fun of Bubbles for missing part of her hair yet you got a half assed undercut." Ha! That one wasn't even good.

(Actually it was. He liked his appearance very much.)

* * *

Ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine, hundred. Swiftly he stood from his planked position. Alright, first one done. Lime green eyes glanced over to him before she scanned the rest of the team. One by one the team popped up, standing at attention.

"Slower than usual. Long weekend?" Cold eyes scanned the crowd before telling them to do it again. He dropped back into push up position. Push-ups were easy. That was a lie. Physical exercise was easy. She had informed them she wanted their chests to brush, but not touch, the ground. Piece of cake. Finding a rhythm, he cranked out a hundred more push-ups, finishing first once more. Suck it losers.

Rolling up her sleeves, Buttercup began dividing the members into teams for a vigorous game of capture the flag. He wasn't allowed in the game yet because he's still "in training" and whatnot. Several members of ACU replacing their ACU uniform hats for the green variant and exchanging their gray flaks for tan ones. She chose interesting teams. One consisted of the sharpest shooters on the ACU team. The second team fashioned with the swiftest and most agile.

Fingering the plastic firearm strapped to his side, he let out a groan. Fuck did he want to compete.

Shooting off a flare gun, each team sprinted through the foliage of the restricted area. Maybe he could sneak in, find both flags, then this "in training" hold will finally be lifted. She obviously didn't want him around anyway, might as well make the boss life easier.

"What's your tattoo of?"

"I have more than one tattoo."

"The one on the left arm." He said, wrapping his right hand around his left forearm where the tattoo etched into her skin. For a moment, he believed she wasn't going to answer him. She instead paid attention to the military grade field laptop seated on the hood of her van, an array of red blips maneuvering about a GPS tracking program. Two of the blips in two different locations became stationary at almost the exact moment. Ah, the hiding of the flags.

One of the stationary blips regained movement heading south, the other stayed put. Bad little blip you should know there's no babysitting.

"It's an elephant," no fucking shit. Her fingers danced against the shirt sleeve hiding her tattoo, "made from a mandala. In Buddhist traditions, mandalas symbolize the universe. Typically, elephants depict a sense of authority."

A tattoo about an authoritative universe?

"Ensō, the brushstroke, in Zen expresses a state where the mind is free. It represents strength while simultaneously representing balance between the universe and the void. Staring at the brushstroke calms the mind, at least for me." Oddly harmonious for a woman he's watched judo flip a mountain of a man.

Her attention shifted back to the GPS as did his. Only one blip stood still – probably hit with a tranquillizer dart. Fuck he wanted to participate so bad. Two blips inched closer together. He'd estimate a few meters from each other. After a few seconds, one blip continued on, one didn't. Over the public communication network he heard a female's voice explaining she had tranquilized a green. The sharpshooters were either up two or evened the playing field.

"Well I got a gray." A male grumbled over the comm. In the far corner of the perimeter, a red blip stood alone. "Catch up." Ah so the speedy ones were in the lead. Huh, he kind of assumed speed wouldn't beat out someone taking aim from far vantage points. If he participated in this round would he be his own time. He happened to be a great shot as well as one of, if not _the_ fastest member of the ACU. He could take both times on his own. Two red blips inched forward towards a different blip traveling south. They were flanking him from both sides, nice. Probably the speed team, a sharpshooter would not need to double team. Then again finding a decent hiding space to prop up their weapon to ensure they had the most accurate shot took a lot of time and left you vulnerable, unable to escape. This was one of the tactics they practiced most often during paired patrols, block off as many exit points as possible to ensure your target does not get away.

He could get away, just saying. But could someone find the flag? It was getting kind of boring chilling waiting for them to complete their game. Now he understood his parents' feelings towards watching his lacrosse games. _Good job son, is the game over yet? No? What do you mean it's not even half-time?!_

Actual quote by the way. His parents were not fans of lacrosse. Or fans of baseball, they'd silently root for the home team regardless which team his brother played for.

He adjusted the volume on the comm, trying to make out anything, sounds of trees rustling, water babbling, anything but the lines stayed near mute. Every now and then he could make out the labored breathing of a few ACU members and judging by the increased speeds of certain blips they sprinted away from an ambush. Some had not been so lucky. After fifteen minutes, three members were still competing, only one from the speed demons still standing. After analyzing the GPS program for the last quarter of an hour he believes he knows which one of the blips happened to be the speed demon. A few more steps and she was bound to spot the sharpshooters' flag whom were too far away to get her presently. If they stayed put, they would put up resistance for her trip back to "base camp" a.k.a. where Buttercup and he stood. The sole red blip on the western end of the map stopped where he assumed the sharpshooters had hidden their flag before she darted off. Each quarter of a mile or so, she would put on more speed, running a full on sprint the last quarter mile. The two other blips had caught onto her at the halfway mark, one stopping to more than likely set up, the other continuing on in pursuit.

Through the foliage he could make out a small figure, carrying a flag double her size. Aside from their boss, she was the only person in ACU who could possibly beat him in a race. Vaulting herself over an over turned log she was nearly home when a male figure appeared behind her, too far to catch up. He himself may have wanted her to win after that run she just did, she deserved it. A shot rang out and the woman dropped to the floor. Fuck did he really jynx the girl? She then pushed herself off the ground, forcing even more speed out of herself.

"Green wins." Their boss smirked as the woman dropped the flag before their feet. She mumbled a few curses under her breath as she placed her hands behind her head, opening the airway. "I believe Kim beat her personal record for the mile during that run." The female tried to smile but instead it came out as a grimace. Pushing her foot up against the trunk of a nearby tree, she began to stretch out her calf muscles.

* * *

 **To:** Hermano

I just watched a chick run a mile & 1/4 in 6 mins full gear

 **From:** Hermano

I dont even think I can run a mile...

 **From:** Hermano

But damn acu must be fast af

* * *

Fuck was he bored. He worked at the world's leading (read: only) dinosaur park and he was bored out of his mind. Nothing ever happened. As a member of the team ensuring the assets maintained inside of their paddocks he should be happy but it was so… dull. His job consisted of escorting MVU vans transporting sick or injured assets and every blue moon heading to the Pachy Arena because a pachycephalosaurus short-circuited their chips for the invisible fence. The engineers currently are working around the clock to develop a chip stronger than the industrial grade chips implanted into the pachycephalosaurus.

Blossom wants them to be moved to a different area of the body. He's strongly against it. Then he'll only have one job involving dinosaurs, the rest is preparing for an asset out of containment.

Were the raptors hatching soon? For the first few months of the raptors' existence, the ACU team would be on a six-man rotation ensuring the new handler didn't die.

Now _that_ is what he signed up for when he applied for ACU. Actual action where he actual got to do something. Maybe someone could talk Brick into putting himself in danger, add a bit more excitement to their daily dull ventures.

He kicked a balled up ice cream wrapper as he trudged down Main Street. He did not recommend frequenting one of the restaurants on Main Street between eleven am to two pm, or a quarter to five and seven pm. You'd be put on a never-ending waitlist. He preferred the food stands throughout the park, more specifically the stand near the Botanical Gardens. But who wants to wait for the monorail to bring them to the other side of the lagoon just to get a burger? Not him. At the end of Main Street stood a different stand; same menu, same prices, but the male working the stand was not nearly as cute as the little brunette Rosie who manned the stand near the Botanical Gardens.

As he approached the stand, he took notice of a petite blonde near the head of the line. Her hair pulled back into a braided bun, in contrast to the thick curls she let flow down her back Friday night. Girl had a lot of hair. Hella hair to be exact. Is hella a quantity? The vendor handed her a blue (recyclable because the chick who gave him a tour pointed that out several times) paper container. She smiled as he handed her back her refillable drink canister – again, the chick pointed out they offered discounts for reusable drinkware. Walking from the booth, the two of them made eye contact.

"How are you?" she chirped. Even without alcohol she was bubbly. Taking a sip from her drink, she offered him what looked like orange fries. "Carrot fries?" When the hell did they start selling carrot fries? What the hell even were carrot fries? She took his muted response as a no. The corners of her lips dipped slightly, as she balanced her meal to take a carrot fry for herself. He nodded to the line and the two quietly fell into place. She tried to initiate small talk, how was his day, how was his shift, what did he want to eat. Normal breeze being shot. Munching on another carrot fry, he noticed the burger she half-way ate lacked a meat patty.

"What the fuck is that?" Her large, blue eyes looked up in confusion. Between the hamburger buns sa a weird brownish green patty. His hamburgers never looked like that. Did they not cook it right? Or at all? Glancing down at her container, the blonde smiled softly.

"I may work at an amusement park but it is still a conservation experiment. Why would I eat animals if my job entails preserving them?" He didn't mention he ate animals while working at the amusement park.

"And the carrot fries?"

Picking up one of the orange fries, she popped it into her mouth, "A healthy alternative that will not take years off your life."

He shook his head, reading over the options sold at the stand. Chicken sandwich or burger? Fuck he wanted a chili cheese dog. The closest stand selling chili cheese dogs stood on the opposite side of Main Street. He could always ask the guy to make it a cheeseburger. Mumbling out his order and flashing his ID card, the vendor nodded and turned to set up his meal. "Any clue when these eggs should be hatching? I feel like it's been ages since I've been hearing through the grapevine the girls should be hatching any day now."

"Any day now." Taking a tip from her drink, she tried to hide her smile. The vendor leaned through the window, handing him a container with both his burger and fries of the French variety. Did he not order a drink? Dumbass. Mid-addition of a drink to his meal, the blonde said, "Hopefully by the end of the week. They estimate either Wednesday or Thursday." He opened his mouth to ask if the eggs would hatch while Brick was asleep, but she continued her thought, "Certain reptiles can delay the hatching of their eggs when the environment surrounding the egg is unsuitable. The scientists in the lab are able to control the environment to ensure the eggs will only hatch while Brick is on the clock, but they cannot force the girls to hatch if they aren't ready."

Blink twice is you can read his mind.

She only blinked once.

Biting into his burger, he thought about what the blonde – Barbie? Brittany? Beatrice? – had said. The embryo would ultimately be the ones to decide when they would hatch, science could not take that away from them. Kind of amazing when you thought about it; he may be picturing little baby dinosaurs holding up signs saying you couldn't control them. Taking a second bite of his egg, static was heard of the blonde's radio, a voice he didn't know why he recognized fading in and out.

"I repeat – eggs – I repeat."

Grabbing her radio, the blonde phoned in, "Mike what was that? I did not copy." Right the kid from the bar.

Instead of hearing the male's voice, he heard Blossom's voice come in over the radio, "BC I need you in the Creation Lab pronto, raptors are hatching. I'm en route. Be there in four, over."

"I wanna see the hatching." The blonde pouted, her low lip jutting out, "I only get to see it if it's one of my gentle giants." She gripped her radio tighter, contemplating whether to radio something in or not. "How does that phrase go? Speak of the devil and he shall appear?"

What he wanted to know was why he hadn't been informed of the hatching? The ACU was present during this moment. Why was she getting radioed in on it? Voices faded in and out of the radio, mostly Blossom barking out orders.

"Is the room isolated?"

The guy from the bar, Mike, responded, "Affirmative. Aside from myself and your father." Why did the room have to be isolated? Questions asked by Blossom about the room itself, ranging from temperature to oxygen levels answered swiftly by Mike. What the fuck? He wouldn't know half of these answers even if he had a cheat sheet in front of him.

"Where are you?"

After a moment, the question was answered again. "You gonna get that?" Both he and the blonde asked. Wait why would he answer-

"Dumbass where is your location?!" Shit that was _his_ boss looking for _him_. Fumbling for his radio, he picked it off his belt loop and responded. "I'm going to need you to place your break on hold. You're the closest to the Creation Lab. I need you to stand guard with me. I'm arriving in two minutes, be there when I get there." He shoved his meal into the blonde's hands mumbling for her to watch it, weaving as fast as he could through Main Street. Two minutes was not enough time for such a feat. Miraculously, he arrived just as Blossom threw the door to the Creation Lab off it's hinges. Following the redhead through the labyrinth of halls, he slid to a halt in front of one of the entrance to one of _many_ labs. Buttercup stood watch on one side of the door. dressed in a white hazmat suit. Glancing over her shoulder at them, she nodded for him to take the other corner. Blossom pointed to a sink located at the end of the hall.

"I need you to scrub you arms and face." Approaching the sink side by side with her, he did as he was told. She then handed him a hazmat suit she pulled off of a hook on the wall.

Stepping into it she walked over to the doors with him. Before he could move, Blossom grabbed onto his forearm. "Do not approach the incubator, keep to the walls." Her grip on his arm tightened, "Become one with the wall, crawl on the floor, Spider-man your way across the ceiling, I don't care how but do _not_ get in the line of sight of the incubator. Nor are you to make a peep the moment you step foot in that room." What the fuck?

He sidled his way against the walls. Eyes connecting with Buttercup, she nodded at him once more. He felt like an idiot. Was this another newbie hazing thing? Mike and a tall male with salt and pepper hair stood pressed against the back wall, clipboards in hand dressed in white hazmat suits as well. Even Blossom pressed herself up against the opposite side of the doorway from her sister. Again, what the fuck?

Brick happened to be the only one not pressed against a wall and wearing normal clothes. He stood directly in front of the incubator, nervous crimson eyes dancing across each egg. Blossom and the older male, whom by the radio call is her father, mouthed to one another something he couldn't make out. Why couldn't they talk?

A fragment of a shell shot off like a rocket, a talon peeking through the hole.

Holy shit that was awesome.

* * *

 **Whenever I picture Brick's hair it's a mixture between the lovely locks of Brock O'Hurn and the shorter hairstyle** _ **MisterZei**_ **on Deviantart gives Brick. I love the little half up half down ponytail** _ **MisterZei**_ **gives him and I also love the idea of a thick, lion's mane being thrown up into a man bun. This version of Bubbles has hair similar to her mother's. I picture her as a blonde Julia Roberts in** _ **Pretty Woman.**_ **Her curls were perfection.**

 **When I typed "sidled", I instantly thought of** _ **Wind Waker**_ **and oh my god I want** _ **Breath of the Wild**_ **sooooo bad.**


	5. Chapter 5

**My brain all day, everyday: dude you gotta write this idea.**

 **My brain with I sit down to write: lol jk not today. Go read Bellarke fanfics.**

 **I edited the last chapter, including the hazmat suits they wear. I forgot to include how smell is a factor in regards to an animal's ability to imprint, not just sight. Thank you to CarrieDreamer for the idea on the raptors' names. (Lowkey stole your As Time Goes By height headcanons for Brick and Boomer. Istillloveyourwork).**

 **Wine drunk and editing this chapter #lit**

* * *

"And that is why Donatello is the best Ninja Turtle." Mike finished, taking a bite from his burger to punctuate his point. Where had this conversation gone? One minute they were talking about digestive processes of certain avian and reptilian creatures, the next they were discussing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The too long, don't read version of the avian digestive processes is that owls are disgusting as hell. The stomach acid in an owl is too weak, allowing them to be able to only digest things such as soft tissue and animal fat. Bones and fur cannot be digested. Said bones are furs are compressed into a pellet inside of the owl's gizzard. Then about ten to twelve hours later regurgitate the when they are ready to eat again starting the process all over again. Maybe eating while having this discussion wasn't Mike's best idea.

Mike opened his mouth to say something before his head shot to the side. What was wrong? He turned in his seat trying to figure out what was wrong but saw nothing, just an empty sterile white room. What did Mike see that he didn't? Mike reached for his radio on his belt. No but like actually, what's wrong?

"The eggs are shifting, I repeat, eggs are shifting. I believe it is time for the hatching, I repeat time for hatching." Wait hold the phone! He wasn't ready yet! Fuck he still had more to learn! Like how not to die! He had no clue what he was doing! Lot of exclamation points!

Mere seconds after making the call, he heard Blossom's voice come in over the radio. "BC I need you in the Creation Lab pronto, raptors are hatching. I'm en route. Be there in four, over."

A few questions Blossom asked fell on Brick's deaf ears. More pressing matters raced through his mind. The raptors were hatching – they weren't supposed to hatch yet. He had a few days to cram. If he had known they would be hatching today he would have stopped the conversation's derailment over an hour ago. The rating of worst to best of heroes in a half-shell put off for a later date. The door to the lab slid open, Dr. Utonium racing through donning a white hazmat suit. How did he get here as fast as he did?

"Is the room isolated?" Why did it matter if the room was isolated?

Raising his radio, Mike responded, "Affirmative. Aside from myself and your father." Why did the room have to be isolated? Questions asked by Blossom about the room itself, ranging from temperature to oxygen levels answered swiftly by Mike who walked to the small sink in the back of the room. Rigorously scrubbing at his exposed arms and then at his face before stepping into his hazmat suit, Michael lifted the radio and fired off more answers. What the fuck? (He wouldn't know half of these answers even if he had a cheat sheet in front of him.)

Buttercup's voice rang out over the radio but Brick still was not listening. Dr. Utonium gestured for him to approach the incubator as he picked up the tray of food they had forgotten on the table, bringing it out of the room.

The time had come. The door slid open once more after Buttercup finished speaking. He watched as the brunette, donned in another white hazmat suit, her helmet tucked under her arm stepped though. Placing the helmet on a barren desk and freeing her hands she twisted the knob on the radio, shutting off any communication to and from her. Mike following her lead.

"Okay so as we practiced." Practiced what? They would spend a few hours going over raptor information and then the conversation would drift into something more casual. Example: which Ninja Turtle was the best. He silently agreed Donatello was the best. He did not get enough credit building amazing machinery in a sewer drain. Looking at him Mike let out a sigh. "Right now, the only thing the girls need to sense is you."

Hands pressed against his back, pushing him towards the incubator, one of the eggs shifting slightly. Oh fuck he wasn't ready for this. He wasn't ready to die. There were so many things he still wanted to do like - um… fuck what did he even want to do? Taking a shaky breath, he stepped forward. He'd be the first person to be accepted into a raptor pack if he succeed. Which honestly topped any bucket list. Who else could say he was one with the Velociraptor? As long as the girls didn't devour him that is.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, Dr. Utonium whispered, "You are to soothe the girls when they hatch. Let them now you are their friend."

From the corner of his eyes, he caught a flash of red standing in stark contrast to the pure white of the laboratories. Blossom. Taking his eyes off the incubator for the first time since Mike made the announcement, he turned to the window. Butch stood before her as she spoke sternly to him, both sporting the same hazmat suits as the others. Like Buttercup, both tucked their helmets under their arm. She looked almost as if she were admonishing a child, her hand reaching out to grip his forearm. Her pink eyes hard as steel. The brunet looked a combination of confused and scared, eyebrows furrowing. His hair was windswept, probably having ran from wherever he was when the call come through. To be fair he probably would be to if he were on the receiving end of that look. Pulling her helmet on, checking and double checking to ensure it were locked in place the doors slid open a third time as she slipped in taking her post on the opposite side of her sister. Still perplexed, Butch locked his helmet into place as well. His attention drawn back to the eggs when one sharply jerked.

His crimson orbs eyeing the eggs, one shifting more than the other three. This was it. He was going to either be accepted or rejected by possibly the greatest pack hunters in existence. He hoped for the former. More hopeful.

Did he leave a will?

We are gathered here today to witness the death of a lovely male named Brick.

The look Blossom sent him varied greatly from the look she sent Butch. Her eyes almost calming his racing heart. She's done this before. She's been present for the hatching of x amounts of dinosaurs. Including carnivorous ones. She'd know what she's doing… right?

A shell fragment shot off from the egg on his far left, a talon peeking through. Then another from the egg closest to him. Then a third from the egg furthest from him. This was it. A long, thin crack began to spread like a spider web across the first egg to crack. It shook more violently, another talon poking its way from the egg. With two talons hanging from the shell, it kind of looked as if the raptor was pushing the shell apart from the inside. Could they do that? A small cracking noise rung out through the silent room before the reptile escaped from her prison. Large reddish eyes peering up at him. Did they do that on purpose? Genetically alter her eyes to resemble his ominous red ones? Could you genetically modify something post fertilization? Maybe her eyes were akin to his – a birth defect. Or maybe they had modified her prior to his employment to up the terror factor. A chill ran up his spine. Was this how most felt when they locked eyes with him? Glancing up he noticed Blossom mime talking with her hands. Right he had to speak!

"Hello." He said voice shallow and uneasy – yours would be too if a raptor currently sat sizing you up. Well two could play that game, he was the larger creature. Eyes narrowing, he raised his voice, "Brick." He said, placing a hand to his chest. He felt like Tarzan speaking with Jane. Me Tarzan, you Jane. The raptors head tilted to the side in confusion which he found oddly endearing. "Brick."

The raptor let out a small chirp, turning towards the egg beside her. Prodding the egg with her beak the raptor chirped again. The egg to the raptor's left shattered. Judging from her stance, the second raptor's head had impacted with the shell. Way to use your head?

Two down, two to go.

The fourth egg still had not moved, was something wrong? Due to their DNA, the girls were synchronous, meaning they should all hatch about the same time. Had this embryo not survived? No, they monitored vitals. Someone would have known by now. The second raptor let out a low growl as the first poked at her with her talons. Feisty little things already. "Stop it." He found himself ordering, wanting to push the two to opposite ends of the incubator. This time two sets of wide eyes glanced up at him curiously. A set of deep red orbs and a piercing shade of green. Her eyes put Buttercup's hair to shame. The third egg, the one furthest from him shook, time for number three? A low tapping sound could be made out, once, twice. A third tap sounded before a talon poked through the shell. Someone was taking her sweet time hatching. The egg, similar to the first one, splintered before it broke. Large, cerulean eyes blinked twice before they glanced about.

"Hello." He said loudly, three sets of eyes now peering at him. "Brick." He really did not know what to say. Could raptors even understand him? The three turned their gaze towards the fourth egg that still had yet to move in anyway. The three seemed to not like that, choosing to tap against the shell. Can they peck the shell open if a hatchling that doesn't wish to hatch? As if annoyed by the disturbance to her peace, the egg shifted away from her now welcomed to the world sisters. A sharp jolt knocked the egg on its side. What was that? Faint tapping sounds could be heard once more, lighter than before. After a beat, the egg for lack of a better word exploded, shell fragments flying about. The fuck?

A raptor, slightly larger than her sisters, sat herself on the largest shell fragment she could find. Burrowing herself as if it were a nest. Violet eyes jumped from sister to sister, asking them to try prodding her again. Four small raptors sat before him, seizing up both each other and the weird fleshy thing standing before them. He felt trapped in a strange sci-fi film. This couldn't possibly be real right? The youngest of the pack let out a soft trill, curling herself into the shell fragment more while her sisters looked on curiously.

"Holy shit."

All four vibrant pairs of eyes shot in his direction. Soft chirps heard as the eldest nipped at his hand. Involuntarily he pulled away but one look from Blossom and he knew that was the wrong move. In his defense, she could have bit off his finger. Wild instincts and all kicking in and being like 'oh look food'. With a disgruntled sigh, he reached his hand out gently. The eldest looked up at him skeptically, her head tilting to the side once more. Just do it already.

After a few moments, she nipped at him once more but this time he stayed still. The raptor chirped happily, the other three waddling over to nip at him as well. The foursome chirped happily to one another, making themselves at home in the incubator.

"Congratulations," Dr. Utonium started, taking a few steps towards him, "Alpha."

He was the alpha? They accepted him? Just like that?

What was with the nipping? Wouldn't they just bite?

Blossom placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, cautiously glancing down at the hatchlings who eyed her suspiciously, "Imprinting allows for an easier acceptance into the pack. For now, they see you as a parental figure." For now? What about later? "Michael may have informed you but if not as both their handler and their alpha you have the right to name them as you please." He got to name the raptors?

For about a half hour, Brick sat there alongside everyone else, watching the girls nap and every now and then nipping at another when a tail swaying in content whacked one of them in the face. They were so… small… What was he so afraid of? Even after thirty minutes passing since their hatching, the girls already had distinct personalities developing. The first one born was reserved one moment but then brash the next when the second born but her tail. The second born already showing signs of being rougher than the others. The third sat prim and proper. She even looked to be glaring at the others. When the second born nipped at her she whined and hissed until the other left her be. The fourth, well she sent out little soft trills at the others and would accidentally walk them with her tail not realizing her body length happened to be slightly longer than the others.

After the second born and last awake, closed her eyes in sleep Blossom turned her radio back on to inform someone named Pablo it was clear for them to enter. Mere seconds later the door slid open to reveal a male he recognized from the bar - quiet, spoke here and there, said little things to contribute to the conversation. Probably so they wouldn't forget he was there. A short female trailing behind him, nose buried in her clipboard. Both dressed in hazmats as well.

"I was starting to think they'd never hatch." Pablo joked, digging into the pockets of his lab coat pulling out a small red kit and a few small vials.

"What are they doing?" His voice vigilant as he warily observed the pair.

Sending him a small smile, Pablo laid out the kit on the table. Those were needles. "I'm checking vitals as well as doing a blood test to ensure there is nothing wrong with the girls." He was putting a needle into the raptors already? His eyes narrowed involuntarily while Mike looked exuberant. "I've never witnessed a hatching before, that was awesome!"

"Michael, they're sleeping." He sent Blossom a sheepish look. Pablo began jotting down notes. From what he could make out, Pablo's notes consisted of measurements; height weight, talon size. The smaller woman taking note of what Pablo did.

"Are you hungry-?" Blossom started, when a nasally voice spoke through her radio.

"Uh Blossom, there's a male in the Innovation Center looking for you. Said he's here about the raptor handler position." Blossom made a face, pulling out her arm out of the sleeve of the hazmat. Her face lit up behind the Plexiglas of her helmet from her phone's screen.

"Mary, I apologize but I do not have anything scheduled for today regarding a raptor handler. I have one next week but he has no training at all with wild animals. He has a degree in music theory." Rolling her eyes, her phone disappearing from view.

With the button held down, Mary, spoke to someone in the background about something. "He uh, doesn't have an appointment." Blossom rolled her eyes before agreeing to squeeze in seeing him but to inform him she only had so much time to spar. Clipping her radio to her belt, Blossom turned to him.

"Would you two," guess she was speaking to Michael as well, not just him, "care to meet your possible coworker?" His eyes shifted to where Pablo worked, the girls still asleep. "I'll have Pablo radio when he's done if that makes you feel any better." With a small smile, she placed a soothing hand to his shoulder once again, "They'll still be asleep when you get back."

Might as well meet the possible new meat.

* * *

The worst part of being tall is people asking you to move so they can see. Should have been there first. Actual, that's a lie. The worst part of being tall is people asking you to move so their cute foot tall child with the roundest puppy dog eyes in the world can see. That's just cheating. Who could say no to those eyes? He knew he couldn't.

He did know someone who could now that he thought about it.

Scratch that, two people.

A horde of not one foot tall children raced towards the front of the monorail, pressing their probably sticky noses to the glass as if that inch difference would allow them to see better. He couldn't remember the last time he was that excited to see something. Being slightly pushed to the side by one of them, he decided maybe he should take a look out the window. According to the automated voice, they would be passing through the gates at any moment. The voice explained the colossal gates had been made from the same wood used to construct the Jurassic Park Main Gate. And judging by the faces of every adult in the room, no one knew there had been a Jurassic Park. Himself may have been included in that list.

What happened to Jurassic Park? Why did they have Jurassic World instead?

Unlike the children, he watched the monorail pull through the gates via its glass ceiling. Those gates sure made him feel small… those gates could keep out King Kong. Or the giant dinosaur that he always thought was a T-Rex that fights Kong in the 2005 film. According to Google it is not a T-Rex. The monorail continued to give off facts about the park and the inhabitants that made the island their home. Most factoids rattled off are listed on the park's site.

Slowing down, the monorail entered the Main Street Station. This felt like getting off the subway during peak hours, bodies taking small steps through the crowd to reach the platform. Two stairs one to the left and one two the right had signs above explaining which stairway led where. Having to hurdle his way over a large, plastic stroller fit for two he found his way to the far set of stairs. The sign above reading "Innovation Center". Shuffling around groups in matching horrendous neon yellow t-shirts with their family's photo plastered on the front, he raced down the stairs finding his way to the glass doors leading into the Innovation Center.

A low 'wow' may have left his lips. The high ceilings of the atrium let in just the right amount of light making it not too blinding and not too dark. Over to the left several children sat brushing the sand off of a fake stegosaurus skeleton, a male in a gray jumpsuit standing nearby with a leaf blower and a bag of sand on a trolley. Guess he had the unlucky job of having to reset the sandbox. At least the leaf blower has the word SILENT painted on the side in large red letters. A large gray circle on the floor sat situated directly under the center of the atrium's apex. Holographs of dinosaurs quickly shuffled through above said circle - bouncing from one to the next as a small boy pushed every button on the kiosk in rapid succession. Stopping on the T-Rex, a hologram let out a chilling roar.

He never would have noticed them had they not walked directly through the hologram - and the small boy pouting in response - but two women marched right at him. The taller woman, a bit red in the face, spoke over a walkie talkie. The second walked beside her listening intently. The taller woman mentioned something about a hatching and then he noticed the emblem on the right corner of her light blue polo, Jurassic World.

Awesome.

"Hi, excuse me sorry to bother you but I was hoping you'd be able to assist me." He said putting on the charm his brothers said he did not have. The taller of the two women flushed lightly - her cheeks becoming slightly more red at his smile. Ha, he had charm! Suck it!

"Yes, um, uh, of course." she stammered, looking at her friend who simply let out a snort. The taller woman brushed away her brown flyaways before sticking out her hand. "I'm Mary and this is Kim." the short woman letting a sound of acknowledgement, "How can we help?"

"I'm wishing to speak with Miss Utonium in regards to the open raptor handler position." The smaller of the two women finally showed emotion, her eyes widening slightly.

"You wanna be a handler?" Nodding in affirmation she shrugged, "Might as well radio in. Does she know you're coming?" He didn't get to respond for the other woman - Mary - had already pulled out her radio and reached out to Miss Utonium herself. A brief exchange happened before Mary lowered the radio, hand still on the button.

"Did you make an appointment to speak with her?"

"No, I uh didn't... kind of came here on adrenaline to be honest." He muttered the last part, Mary not seeming to have picked up on it. Kim on the other hand raised an eyebrow at the comment. To be fair he would have too. Who would on adrenaline come to Costa Rica for a position he may not even receive. A position involving carnivorous apex predators.

Another brief exchange occurred before Mary clipped her radio back to the waistband of her khaki shorts. "She agreed to meet you. If you would like there is a bench outside at the entrance to the Innovation Center. It will probably be easier to talk there. Less children running and yelling and selecting hologramed dinosaurs." Yea that probably was a good idea. Plus he had only seen one photo of her. Spotting her in a less populated area would be easier than trying to find a vaguely familiar needle in a very crowded haystack. Glancing down at her watch, Mary gave him a sheepish look, "We actually have to go our break is over but the benches are right outside and Blossom is nearby in the Creation Lab. She'll be here momentarily."

Nodding he held the glass door open for the pair before taking a seat on the bench. Mary mumbling something over the radio about his location. He debated whether or not to pull out his phone and play Two Dots while he waited but he decided against it. The boss won't be too thrilled coming over and seeing him on his phone to pass the time.

"May I help you?" A redhead in an off-white skirt suit asked him. I don't know may you? With a smile, he stuck out his hand in greeting.

"Good morning ma'am, I hope you can. I'm a paleontologist, specializing in the Deinonychus... They're the cousins of your Velociraptors." He rushed out the last part.

He watched as the woman raised an eyebrow at him, "I know what a Deinonychus is."

Right head of a dinosaur park.

"I just completed a dig down in Argentina when my aunt called and said she saw an opening for a raptor handler here. I know this isn't typically how you apply for jobs, everything's online now, but I figured I planned to stop here anyway, might as well give it a shot."

At the mentioning of Argentina, the redhead's eyes widened. "The Grant Dig?" He nodded, "You were on the Grant Dig?!" She asked, her voice a mixture of both awe and disbelief. When he told her yes, another redhead, this time male walked over accompanied by a shorter honey-blond male. Oh thank you.

"Did I hear you worked with Grant?" This time it was the blond's turn to be in awe, "Holy shit dude, that's amazing! I saw his talk in Manhattan a few years back. Fucking life changing. Must have been amazing to work with him!"

The red-haired male's eyes narrowed as he asked who Grant was. "Possibly the world's leading field paleontologist." The other two said almost in unison. The glare deepened.

The blond turned to the other male and then added, "He's also the one who proposed the theory that raptors are one of the most brilliant creatures to ever walk the earth." Letting out a small laugh, he jokingly said, "So one of the reasons you, my daredevil friend, are employed."

Shit.

Sticking out his hand, the blond's smile couldn't be contained. "The name's Michael Believe. Could you get Grant to come here? Maybe give a talk? Even if it's just to visit. I want to meet him so bad. Him and M. Dr. G. Then I'd have met the Trinity." Blossom rolled her eyes and mumbled how he was the only one who called her that.

Called who what? And what was the Trinity?

Placing a hand to Michael's shoulder, a silent gesture telling him to ease up on his excitement. "Please ignore him. Dr. Alan Grant is a personal hero of us both." Double shit. "May I ask your name?"

"Boo- uh…" As his voice trailed off, he did not think that glare could deepen anymore. Not surprisingly, he was wrong.

"Boo? As in Boo Radley?" Blossom asked. Boo who? (Don't cry, it's only a joke.) No but who's Boo Radley?

"And I thought our parents were horrible at names. Brick are your parents bad at names too?"

The redhead in question, ran a hand through his tangled mane, "Is it spelled B-E-A-U or B-O-O?" Michael may have made a comment about the former being a nickname, not a given name but he wasn't really listening. All eyes were focused on him.

"Yes, uh B-E-A-U. Beau uh Merton."

Blossom raised an eyebrow at him again. He sucked at making good first impressions, if this conversation wasn't enough evidence. "May I ask what you found on your dig?"

"Well we set out to find the rest of the Notoceratops jaw, or the skeleton itself, but that was mostly wishful thinking. We wished to test any fossils discovered in hopes of seeing whether it were a Notoceratops' or actually belonging to a Ceratopsia. That part of the expedition turned up nothing, but we did find parts of a small bred of titanosaurus. The Saltasaurus Loricatus, the be exact."

The two redheads looked skeptical but the blond was ecstatic asking an array of questions. How big? Did you find the torso, legs, head? All of the above? How old would you estimate the fossils? Male or female?

A soft piano composition began to play from Blossom's phone. "I - I have to take this. It was lovely to meet you Beau. You can speak with HR about the application process further." Blossom swiped the phone, placing the device to her ear, "Please hold for one moment, I am currently out of the office." Clicking a button on her phone silently Blossom let out a sigh. "Congratulates on having been on a Grant Dig. Especially being so young, I know Michael applied for the dig at the end of the year but had to retract his." Sending him a sad smile, she continued, "Speak with the woman who called me down, Mary. She deals with the hiring process. I just interview the handlers after her approval." Her thumb hovered over the hold button on her phone.

"Actually Michael would you be able to perform the initial interview? I can forward you the agenda. It would make the hiring process easier on Mary. With all the interns and students applying for summer positions. She and Kim have been swamped for the past month and a half." They were already hiring for summer? Then again it was May, colleges were letting out soon. But he also just saw Mary and Kim so not as swamped? But they were on lunch when he saw them. She then turned to Beau, "Of course if you're willing."

Beau nodded silently at the same time as Mike shrugged, "Why not."

Sending her friend a relieved smile, her gaze turned back to her phone. With another sigh, this one more sullen than the first, she pressed the hold button. A commotion was heard through her phone, rose pink eyes rolling in response.

"Thank you for holding. As I said, I'm currently out of my office." Sending the trio small wave, she slipped into the crowd.

"Where are you?" Mike sneered, "We have a meeting in ten minutes and you're not here but we will give you shit for being on time even though we show up whenever the hell we want." Letting out a groan Mike ran an exasperated hand over his face. "I'm gonna run to the bathroom real quick, you two mind waiting here? The less unknown smells the girls are exposed to early on, the less likely they are confused as to whom is the Alpha."

After getting an affirmative response from the redhead, Mike headed back into the Innovation Center, leaving he and Brick alone. Cobalt eyes jumped from anything and everything in the area except the redhead in front of him.

"Dumbass, you went with Grant?! Alan fucking Grant?" He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Specializing in Deinonychus." Brick's voice shifting to mimic his, "I got you an in dumbass." Brick's voice returning to its usual baritone. He pushed his sunglasses down to create even the minimalist barrier between the other standing before him.

"Beau Merton?" Brick let out a hollow laugh, "That's the name you concocted? You're gonna blow the whole plan. I'd rather you have stayed with the name Boomer. It may not be all the popular of a name but at least you'll remember to answer to it."

"Hey! Dad said-" Crimson eyes flared a deeper red in anger.

"Dad said? Dad said?! Look around! Do you see Dad - hell do you see the Old Man here?!" Pinching the bridge of his nose, Brick let out a long sigh, "I don't have time for this. They're gonna know right away you're lying."

Finding his voice, Boomer rebutted against the other, "They haven't figured out you're lying." If you opened an optometrist's handbook and Permanent Glare Syndrome (PGS for short) did not appear, Boomer needed to write WebMD or the American Optometric Association. This should be a thing. Some scientists have recognized Resting Bitch Face. "Unlike you, I majored in two natural sciences, physics and chem-"

"Not zoology."

PGS is _so_ real. "I had a general understanding of biology through my studies." He ran a hand through his thick locks, "I also took several zoology courses at the Annex back home. Michael just has to ask you one question and you're done because a paleontologist _specializing in the study of_ _Deinonychuses_ should know more than a few facts from their Wikipedia page." Brick's voice once again shifting to mimic his own.

Pulling his trusty worn red baseball cap from his back pocket, Brick continued, "I drafted a more inconspicuous background. Graduated from a decent college – especially one with no ties to anyone either sitting on the park's Board or holding some position of importance. I chose a well-known destination because everyone at one point in their life has said they want to go on an African safari at one point, but at the same time not a zoo and/or conservation project that automatically comes to mind. Unlike the Bronx Zoo or the San Diego Zoo – hell Beijing comes to mind before people think of the Serengeti National Park. Dad created the videos as an teaser, to attract the attention for Barney Mayor but we orchestrated it to ensure the video did not go viral. We orchestrated a background that had enough fake articles to make me believable but also at the same time eye-catching enough to be seen as a person who can fit the mold of what they want in a handler. I meticulously went over every detail. I planned everything out to shape all of us into what the park wants but just enough that we go under the radar." Brick let out another sigh, fingers drumming the bill of his cap as he slid it to sit backwards on his head. "Or at least hover near the radar. My name is synonymous with Lion Whisperer at the current moment but that will pass."

Boomer looked down at his toes. While watching RuPaul's Drag Race and drinking about half a bottle of wine, Dad had come up with a grand idea and he jumped on it without thinking because for once he would be seen as the intelligent one, not Brick.

"Michael specializes in prehistoric apex predators, meaning more than just the Tyrannous Rex. He knows about Sabertooth Tigers, about Ichthyosaurs, and Pliosauroidea. If he shows more knowledge on one of many predators he's studied than you who focuses on one, we're fucked." Shit tea infinity. "Ignoring your deviation from the plan and your disregard of not informing those involved, what I really want to know his how you knew about the Grant Dig. Did you make something up? Because once that's out and you're information was wrong Blossom is going to be all over you."

"She called." He started, scuffing his foot against the ground. He looked like a child embarrassed for getting in trouble. "Told them she was interested in finding a dig. Wanted to know generally searched for, what they've found on digs, which country would be more likely to produce whatever dinosaur she likes. Also if they found a new one if they could name it after her of she was the one funding the dig. The guy she spoke with answered every question she had. Then again if someone who could afford a small to medium sized country called asking to fund a dig in exchange for a few answers I think even Grant himself would have told her."

"I can't believe you were on a Grant Dig! This is so cool! How is he personally? Is he the same in conversation as he is at a convention?" Shit, the other looked like a kid finding Santa's workshop. Or similar to those kids who pressed their noses to the glass as the monorail raced through the gates.  
Brick was right, even though that happened a lot he still hated conceding because the other never let anyone forget he was right - proud chin held high, smirk bordering on the snide side, rolled back shoulders giving off an air of confidence. Contrary to his usual position, Brick leaned against the wall behind the other blond - Michael - arms crossed, closing him off from the discussion. Albeit was not an uncommon posture for the latter, it was uncommon in this instance. Then again maybe not to uncommon for this situation. His case of PGS happened to be clearing up, the only symptom left being eyebrows furrowed in annoyance - again not something too uncommon, especially when directed at him. His lips tugging downwards at the ends. (If Brick kept his facial expression up he'd have serious wrinkles by 35.)

"I didn't know him all that well." Watching Michael's eyebrows furrow in confusion, Boomer grasped for an excuse, "I was uh, terrified you know? One bad word from him and my whole career is down the drain. I don't even believe he knew my name, just would say 'hey you!' if he wanted me attention." His voice trailed off nervously.

Michael seemed to accept his flimsy excuse with a small understanding nod. "I'd probably be known as the obnoxious one who asked too many questions." Letting out a breath, he nodded as well.

When he had returned from the bathroom, Michael grasped a tablet in his hands. Did they give away tablets for using the toilet properly? And you get a tablet, and you get a tablet! Unlocking the screen, he began to scroll. At least he's safe for now. Brick's position shifted ever so slightly to the right. Could he make out what was on the tablet? His unspoken question answered by a smirk. The redhead mouthed something to him, something about feet? Rolling his crimson colored eyes Brick mouth his sentence once again adding in the use of his fingers, six then ten What? His face must of given away his confusion for Brick groaned in frustration. When Michael eyed him warily, Brick fanned himself muttering something about the heat. Liar, Brick could live on the sun and be perfectly fine… if humans could survive living on the sun… Brick had the wonkiest homeostayis - homeostatis… what the fuck did the Old Man call it? A walking space heater.

Well giving him that finger was just plain rude.

 _Six feet, ten inches._

"I'm going to ask you a series of questions to gauge your understanding of both Deinonychus and Velociraptors. They will get progressively more difficult. This will act as a practice test before the real one is given post interview. If you have any questions you're welcome to ask them. Ready?" Swallowing a lump in his throat, mechanically he nodded his head. Brick mouthed once more.

 _Six feet, ten inches._

"Approximately what is the average body length of a Velociraptor?"

"Six feet, ten inches." He stuttered nervously, a bead of sweat dripping down his back.

"Good." Michael jotted something on the tablet. His steel eyes locking with his cobalt ones. "Relax man, I'm not the one you should be terrified of, unlike the girls." Michael's blasé comment did not ease his worry. What if Michael noticed him paying attention to Brick? What if he went to make an off-handed comment to Brick and noticed the redhead feeding him answers? What if they had stealth cameras everywhere capturing this exact moment? Begrudgingly he admitted for a second time Brick was right. He memorized flash cards scribbled with information easily available on the internet with Dad for a good month, but what if Michael asked something he didn't know? He should have followed the Old Man's (and Brick's) idea. He surprisingly obtained a degree in Information Technology. No matter how it paled in comparison to Brick's double master's (who even had two master's degrees? Just go for the PHD instead) an Associates was still a degree. He should have worked the IT angle.

But they always look at the newbie IT guy when something goes wrong... right?

"Beau?" A hand waving in front of his face pulled him from his thoughts. Eyebrows raised in a blend of worry and confusion, Michael asked if he was okay. Mumbling something about long digs and long flights sufficed as a decent excuse for his lack of focus.

Maybe Brick was wrong. Maybe he could pull this off. He had stuttered his way through two successful lies.

"You can't be doing that if you want this position. The girls will eat you alive."

Metaphorically and literally, fun.

Typing out a few things on the keypad, little noise admitting from the tablet with each button being pressed. With a finally tap Michael locked the tablet. "Are you hungry? Brick and I were enjoying our lunch-" the other letting out a scoffed laugh, "when the girls decided to make their grand entrance." He could eat. Nodding in agreement, Michael said, "Great! I know just the place! Follow me down the rabbit hole." He began to weave them through the pedestrian congested Main Street away, pulling his phone out as their passed Margaritaville.

"What did you mean by practice test?" he asked, twisted himself around a group hogging the walkway.

Michael looked up from his phone with an eyebrow raised. "What did you say?" Boomer repeated his question, Michael typing something without looking at his phone's screen, "Simply that. This was a pre-test test, a practice of sorts before you're given the real deal."

Brick voiced up a question this time, "Why does he need to take another test? I didn't take one."

Turning to the redhead Michael said, "I could always sit you down with him and have you take the test as well." A curt I'd rather not may have been muttered. Looking back at him, Michael let out a sigh. "Jurassic World is known for having some of the best scientists in the world. They can literally do the impossible and bring fiction to life. They prefer if the other raptor handler truly specializes in the creatures themselves. It will make easing me out of the paddock swifter and you'd be able to assist him in any information needed about the raptors. You'd be outside explaining Raptors to him, while Brick is in the cage facing the girls head on. A weird take on the brains and the brawn."

He never thought he'd hear the day when he was considered the brains and Brick the brawn... not that Brick is weak or anything. Just his brother was the smarter sibling. Always had been.

"If the Jurassic World has some of the best scientists in the world, why'd they hire you?" Brick asked but Boomer could sense an underlying teasing nature to the question.

Michael shrugged, "Pablo, Robin, and I kind of refused to leave when our summer internships ended."

"You had an internship here?" Boomer found himself asking.

"Yea, the three of us did. And so did the girls. My second semester freshmen year of college, I took the Metro North from Yale to see Professor Utonium give a speech at NYU." Did he just casually mentioning going to Yale? And Professor not Doctor Utonium? "After I waited on a line to speak with him. Somehow we got onto the topic of how I was taking a course in genetics the next semester and we had to write a paper, said how I intended to use Jurassic World as an inspiration for mine. Especially since I had applied for their summer college internship. He actually gave me his email told me to reach out to him. Probably did it as a nice gesture, didn't mean hey email me whenever you have questions but I did and he answered every email.

"I was was listed for the internship the summer going into sophomore year and he recognized my name on the list. Bumped me from wait listed to accepted. I wanted to prove I deserved the spot. So did Robin and Pablo. He had helped Robin get in and the woman you saw walking in behind Pablo-" Michael said, gesturing to Brick, "Short, dark hair. She helped Pablo get in. Four years later I'm working on my doctorate and the two of them are doing their residencies. We all had to pass tests to prove we knew our shit and we're still being tested everyday to make sure nothing goes wrong. Even if Bloss' job title should be 'Shit Manager' rather than 'Operations Manager' because she is the end all of making sure shit does not hit the fan."

* * *

 _Michael_ to _#FAMtastic_ : Who is in to get riggity riggity wrecked to celebrate the birth of four dinofetuses?

 _Blossom:_ No.

 _Michael:_ Lame

 _Buttercup:_ I don't know about two, but I'm down to get riggity wrecked

 _Blossom:_ Way to have proper workplace decorum.

 _Robin:_ Proper workplace decorum includes not using phones while at work. Unless an emergency.

 _Robin:_ Obviously figuring out how many riggities to be placed before wrecked is considered an emergency.

 _Michael:_ Thank you!

 _Blossom:_ Can you at least change the name? Who is fantastic? Us? Are with the fam? Cause we are all walking disasters who hate each other.

 _Bubbles:_ ^^

 _Michael:_ I reiterate, lame

 _Bubbles:_ I still think sassafras should be the name because it sounds like sassy friends when you say it fast.

 _Mitch:_ Gtfo

 _Buttercup:_ Hey! Only I can tell my sister that!

 _Buttercup:_ Bubs, gtfo

 _Bubbles:_ Bloss, this is a hostile work environment. I don't feel safe. I'm placing in a complaint to HR.

 **Blossom changed the name 'Soon-to-be unemployed losers and Blossom'**

 _Michael:_ Rude

 _Michael:_ No but like who in? Cause drinking alone at a bar is considered "a problem" by Bubbles

 _Bubbles:_ Alcoholism is a scary thing!

 _Buttercup:_ Gtfo

 _Mitch:_ Gtfo

 _Buttercup:_ We already have one mom friend and that's Bloss. We don't need another

 _Bubbles:_ I hate you both.

 **Bubbles changed the name to 'Blossom and I are better than y'all'**

 _Michael:_ Rude squared

 _Blossom:_ Just because I have a first aid kit in my car does not make me mom friend.

 _Blossom:_ Or that I call to make sure you get places safely.

 _Blossom:_ Or that I have to herd you lot around when you're too drunk to know what's going on.

 **Robin changed the name to 'Blossom is the world's best mom'**

 _Michael:^^_

 _Blossom:_ I'd leave you all for dead in the Hunger Games.

 _Robin:_ You hated that book.

* * *

Let out a chuckle, Michael looked up from his phone as they approached a small eatery at the end of Main Street. He smiled to the cashier and asked for his usual. Boomer kind of always wanted to be able to ask for 'the usual' but never frequented a place either enough or just had one of those faces that blended into the crowd. He then asked what the two of them wanted. Michael was paying for them? Brick voiced he could pay for it but Michael shrugged, "I'm happy about seeing the hatching and feel giving. You should utilize it while it lasts. Plus Boomer does not get a discount." Damn.

After telling Michael he wasn't hungry - they did technically have lunch, though Michael countered his argument with three bites before watching Velicoraptors hatch does not count as lunch - Brick relented to letting the other buy them food.

He and Brick both decided on a burger. Michael urged them to buy something else for a simple burger does not constitute a meal. "At least get a drink." he pleaded.

He and Brick both decided on a burger and a Coke.

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Michael Believe

 **Subject:** "Practice test" results

 **Attachment:** Said practice test results (PDF)

I attached the answers given by Beau Merton to the questions you emailed me. And I swear do not mention my handwriting, I lost my tablet pen.

* * *

 **To:** Michael Believe

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** RE: "Practice test" results

Ignoring you talking about getting drunk while at work,give me the TL;DR version.

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Michael Believe

 **Subject:** RE RE: "Practice test" results

Wow, I did all that work and you want a TD;LR? Fine: Not as cool as me.

* * *

 **To:** Michael Believe

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** RE RE RE: "Practice test" results

Wow, I didn't think it was possible to be more lame than you. Who'd of thunk? Give me a not TL; still DR version. I also want your stance on whether or not you believe he would be a candidate for the position.

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Michael Believe

 **Subject:** RE RE RE RE: "Practice test" results

Today you have been very rude and very lame. No wonder we are not friends.

Not TL; Still DR version for the practice test. Beau answered each question but looked so nervous the whole time. Probably because Brick was glaring at him. I'd keep him behind the scenes, zones out too much to stand in the octagon.

We could always put him in Rexy's paddock, he'd either learn not to zone out of be eaten.

* * *

 **To:** Michael Believe

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** RE RE RE RE RE: "Practice test" results

We currently have a zero not so accidental employees eatings. Not in the mood to change that.

If you're still with him - which I assume you are - inform him of stage two please.

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Michael Believe

 **Subject:** RE RE RE RE RE RE: "Practice test" results

Don't worry I already did.

I also told Brick and Beau to get a GroupMe so we can add them to #FAMtastic, wait no sorry it's "Blossom is the world's best mom" now and they can come to get riggity riggity wrecked. What better way to get initiated to the park then deal with drunkards.

* * *

 **To:** Michael Believe

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** RE RE RE RE RE RE: "Practice test" results

Thank you.

Your handwriting sucks ass.

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Michael Believe

 **Subject:** RE RE RE RE RE RE RE: "Practice test" results

I said not to mention that!

* * *

 **To:** Blossom, BC

 **From:** Bubbles

I have lost five pounds already, mostly water weight but whatever. Bring it Morebucks, I'm gonna look a hundred times better your pancake face.

 **From:** BC

What is a pancake face?

 **From:** Bubbles

You know lotta makeup

 **From:** BC

#notathong

Fucking hell

 **From:** Blossom

I agree, not a thong.

 **From:** BC

Middle finger up and it's pointed to the ginger

 **From:** Blossom

Wrong lyrics.

Also possible Raptor handler #2

 **From:** BC

Wooo! Two possible deaths because Michael sucks as a human being!

 **From:** Bubbles

As his best friend I must defend him on his behalf cause he can't do it himself! He sucks just as much as we do as human beings!

* * *

 _Michael_ to _Beau's new, be nice_

 _Michael:_ Okay so how about a late-ish dinner with a possibility of getting riggity riggity wrecked.

 _Brick:_ He made me download an app for that. He's sitting across from me.

 _Buttercup:_ You came to the bar with us, you've be initiated.

 _Beau:_ He made me download it as well

 _Mitch:_ Stranger danger

 _Buttercup:_ As long as he doesn't give us candy from a white van we're good.

 _Buttercup:_ Right Mom?

 _Blossom:_ I would like to get dinner. Want to go into San Jose?

 _Blossom:_ I drop you on a church's doorstep?

 _Buttercup:_ What did Mike say earlier? Oh right, rude

 _Bubbles:_ LET'S GO TO THE LITTLE HOLE IN THE WALL NEAR THE KARAOKE BAR!

 _Mitch:_ #nokaraoke

 _Robin:_ I love that place! I'm in!

 _Pablo:_ Go to work all of you.

 _Pablo:_ I am also in. I love their empanadas.

 _Buttercup:_ Pablo get off your phone you're at work

 _Buttercup:_ I'm in solely because their guac is actual life support

 _Buttercup:_ #yeskaraoke

 _Blossom:_ Oh, that place is good.

 _Mitch:_ I'm out because I hate you all

 _Buttercup:_ Bye bitch

 _Michael:_ Guys I said be nice! Beau is new! He doesn't understand you idiots.

 _Brick:_ I think he can read so he can understand what's being written.

 _Mitch:_ *fire emoji*

 _Buttercup:_ Need some *snowflake emoji*

 _Mike:_ Triple riggity for me

 _Beau:_ I'm sorry for being able to read?

 _Buttercup:_ #literateproblems

 _Robin:_ Bloss be at your apartment after quitting time. I left my wrislet on your couch.

 _Blossom:_ Door is always open to you. Not the others, just you.

 _Robin:_ Guys I'm Mom's favorite.

 _Robin:_ We not so ironically use hashtags.

 _Mitch:_ #hashtag

 _Bubbles:_ Gtfo

* * *

 **I can't in good conscience do anything related to Jurassic canon without mentioning Grant, Sadler, or Malcolm. Anyone pick up the nod to the first film? Or my Rick and Morty tidbit because 97 years and nine seasons of Rick and Morty.**

 **Fight me Donatello is my favorite Ninja Turtle.**

 **Writing the hatching scene, I can only imagine how Brick would be having a kid. Nor did I realize I made a Tarzan reference in chapter 2 in Brick's pov and then again in Brick's pov in this one. Unintentional motif of him being the son of man.**

 **I was in the Bronx the other day near Yankee Stadium. As a Mets fan I was like ew, but I was like Bronx... Bronx Zoo... Zoology... Brick...**


	6. Chapter 6

**I didn't forget about this story, just been really busy between work and attempting to write this book/screenplay thing. Key word is _attempting_. I can't get anywhere with it. The use always strikes when I'm driving or in the shower or anywhere where I can't write anything. My life.**

 **But to the like four people who read this, in the immortal words of Josh Nichols you guys are "the cooliest."**

 **Anyway, here's Wonderwall... I mean Chapter Six. (Utilizing old memes like the reboot.)**

* * *

"Here I am!" she cheered, hip-bumping the door open. Heels in one hand, a bottle of Cupcake champagne in the other. "Your day is officially better!" She believed she heard someone say 'oh joy' but that may have been her imagination. 'Sorry' played through the speakers in the apartment. Fuck yeah Beyoncé. Placing the champagne bottle on the island in the kitchen, she removed three flutes from the under-cabinet glass rack. She needed to purchase one of these. It's been on the top of her revamp the apartment list for a good three months now – ever since Blossom bought hers. Pouring just the right amount of bubbling splendor into the flutes, she meandered her way through the long hall, leading to the bedrooms. Robin's voice could be made over the music, asking if her dress looked too short. Nonsense, not possible. No dress is ever too short. Hip-bumping a door open once more – carrying three glasses of champagne is difficult! - she smiled at her sister French braiding Robin's hair.

"Don't we look pretty." She said, placing one of the glasses on Blossom's side table before gesturing the other two out for the women before her.

"Not waiting for BC to toast to surviving another day?" Blossom asked, not taking her eyes off of Robin's brunette tresses. BC said she might not even met up with them before heading out to San Jose, her and Mitch were doing something. 'It's for posterity' the brunet duo had informed them. More like it's for possible prison time. Whatever, less champagne needed to be shared.

Placing an elastic that blended well with Robin's hair color to secure the braid, Blossom turned to her. "Your hair looks lovely by the way."

Blossom has been telling her the same thing since high school when she stopped trying to flat iron the hell out of her hair to keep it from being as curly as it is. All the cool kids in middle school straightened the crap out of their hair and she wanted to be part of that exclusive club.

(She also played that song about wanting to be like the cool kids a lot to piss off BC. She hated that song.)

"I didn't do anything to it." she said absentmindedly, glancing down at her phone as she took a sip from her glass. Michael was swarming her with text messages. He had joined some stupid dating site recently and needed help filtering through the herd. If he just listened to her and put on his adult pants and spoke to Robin about his feelings he wouldn't have had to make that stupid profile. And by him making it she meant herself because he cannot sell himself very well.

"What do you think?" Blossom asked, pulling out a few strands from the braid to shape Robin's face.

Smiling at her reflection in Blossom's vanity mirror, Robin twisted slightly in her seat to get a better view of the braid. "Practically perfect in every way Miss Poppins."

"I hate you."

"No you don't." Robin muttered, the smiling falling from her face as she brushed one of the baby hairs aside. She leaned back, falling onto the silk pillows. Blossom sent a look her way before seating herself on the bed beside Robin.

"Just say it." Blossom said, sectioning and twisting her hair into a messy chignon. Say what? Turning her gaze to Robin, the woman's face and body language screamed unsettled. What was wrong? Groaning, Robin rolled over, burying her face into one of the pillows. She muttered something into the material before propping herself up on her elbows.

"Blossom ho do you do it? How do you get men' to fall at your feet?" She rolled back over and threw her forearm over her eyes, "I mean man, singular. How do you get a man?" Blossom rose eyes looked with her blue ones in a knowing manner. Did she know about Mike? She probably did but-

"Hon I do not have men falling at my feet?"

"Do you smell that Bubs? Smells like bullshit?"

Blossom rolled her eyes, standing from the bed. She let her hair fall from the chignon. That looked so cute. Messily chic, she should have secured it with a few bobby pins instead of letting it fall in beach waves. Not saying the beach waves weren't nice. "You just have shitty taste in men." Hey! Not all of them were shitty. The guy she dated senior year in college was a sweetheart, until he had to move back to Greece. He also didn't speak English... That was a quiet relationship. And Mitch wasn't shitty... just not someone you would think Robin would like. She tended to like men with IQs that rivaled hers and enjoyed chemistry but the literal and metaphorical one. Robin went to defend herself when Blossom cut her off. "Remember when we drove over an hour to get to some frat house and the guy was a pig." Blossom turned to her and said, "He asked for a three way and I old him I'd shove my heel up his ass." Robin once more went to vocalize her defense when Blossom continued, "Or the guy who miraculously made it into Harvard Law - he had to have had his parents make a call because a shovel could score higher then him on the LSATs. I distinctly remember threatening to castrate him." Was Blossom talking or BC?

"I'm starting to think you scared them all away so you could have me for yourself." Robin joked, sitting up to fix the braid over her right shoulder.

"Obviously. I told you, I've sworn off men." Blossom quipped, turning to face the vanity and applying a neutral matte to her lips. Bubbles made a note to steal that color later. It would pair well with the baby blue swing dress she just bought.

"But you haven't sworn of _all_ men."

"No." That response came too fast to be inconsequential.

What did she mean, not _all_ men. Excuse me. What did Robin know that _she_ (or by extension BC because she has not mentioned anything regarding Blossom's dating life to her) did not? Sure Robin is her We Survived the Ivy League best friend, but she and Blossom came out the womb together. That's a best friendship that takes priority. DNA buddies before dorm buddies. Now what was this 'not _all_ men' nonsense? Blossom hasn't liked a guy since He Who Must Not Be Named, HWMNBN for short. Or as BC lovingly dubbed him, Small Penis Who Was a Huge Dick. SP2WHD for short. Who is this new guy and again why did she not know about it?!

"The 5 Ws please." Again Blossom response of no came too swift to be something of no importance. Robin smirked once more.

"I got you Bubbles." She started, waving her hand.

"There's nothing to speak about so there's no reason to 'have' her." Blossom stated, using air quotes.

Robin's smirk turned into a Cheshire grin. Whatever it was, Blossom's responses were digging her into a deeper and deeper grave. "Now, I think I should do a waterfall braid." Blossom said, turning to face her in a vain attempt to fear the conversation elsewhere. "Or should we head out? My hair looks fine as is."

Pulling out her phone, Bubbles sent out a text to the group stating they would be a little late and for them to head out without them. She made a point of telling them to make sure they get a table. Having a large group and heading to a restaurant that does not make reservations could result in a hours wait. Sometimes even longer.

"Blossom may have 'sworn off men' but her messages after the hiring of a certain male handler said otherwise." Unlocking her phone, Robin scrolled through something before holding it out for her to take, "Wanna see?"

Blossom reached out to grab the phone but Bubbles snatched it from the brunette. It was a screenshot of a conversation via email between the two. Blossom once more made an attempt to grab the phone, muttering how there was nothing to see. Your body language says otherwise, Bubbles told herself. "Is this elementary school? Seriously?" Her cheeks tinting a rosy red color. If they made a blush that color, Blossom needed to purchase it because that color goes very well with her eye color, her hair color, and that dress. No distractions! Read conversation!

What occurred in the texts to have her sister this flustered?

She only read one subject line, a simple 'I've made a huge mistake' before the redhead captured the phone. She didn't think Robin's grin could grow anymore, it was getting kinda scary.

"Miss medium-height, ginger and pretty has a crush." Rolling her eyes in response, Blossom threw the rest of her drink back.

"It's not a crush. It was a mild appreciation of someone's physical appearance."

"Mild my ass. I got a three page long email stating how she should fire herself for what she did."

Blossom glared running a brush through her hair, "He's under qualified." Judging by Robin's eye roll they've been down this road many a times. "I hired a handler who has neer handled anything regarding Velociraptors. I should have been fired, I'm putting him at risk."

"I think him putting his head in a lion's mouth states he's okay with risks." Robin's tone cementing the fact that the two of them have in fact been down this road multiple times.

"He's hot." Bubbles shrugged, taking a sip from her glass.

Blossom dropped her brush as if it were engulfed in flames, "Bubbles!" Her exclamation being drowned out by Robin's cackling.

"I'm woman enough to admit it!"

Robin ceasing her laughing, placed a hand over Bubbles' "He's not her type remember. She would never be caught dating a redhead after last time."

Brushing off imaginary lint from the bottom of her dress, Blossom slipped on a pair a pale pumps, "Hair color is a trivial, and superficial reason not to date someone. Being their employer-" Robin looked even more scary as the grin deepened once more, "- and not being interested in a relationship with said person are more suitable reasons."

Maybe Robin was right. There is a weird smell in the air - smells a bit like bullshit. But her sister deemed the conversation kaput by grabbing her clutch. Guess they should head out to catch the next Bullet out. Perks of being an employee. You didn't have to ride to ferry with the patrons; the Bullet brought you to and from the island via an underground train. First and only stop, San Jose airport. Hopefully flagging a taxi won't take too long. One time BC had to basically launch herself into the street to get one to stop and pick themselves up.

Blossom's phone chirped. "They have a table." How come that didn't go to the group? Robin on the other hand voiced the question a loud. Pink tint again. How cute, ohmygod. "Shut the fuck up." Insert Robin cackling again. Blossom began striding out of the apartment.

Time for the Bullet train! Bul-let train, Bul-let train. God she loves the Bullet train. She had a need, a need for speed and the Bullet happened to quench said need. Did she mention it was underground in a see-through tunnel? No? Because it is.

* * *

"How are my beautiful babies?" Bubbles asked, opening the employee gate to the petting zoo paddock. "Mama missed you all so much." She gently brushed her hand over the rough, textured backs of the pen's inhabitants. Millions of years later and they were still the most breathtaking creatures on the planet.

The paddock had more visitors then when she left to escort a lost boy to the central hub. Children who came up to about her waist ran about, their small hands gently patting the rough skin of her babies. From the corner of her eyes she watched a small girl being assisted onto a baby triceratops. She began the countdown. Thirty seconds before she gently as she could asked the little girl to dismount the dinosaur. Her babies were strong but young. They could only do so much.

Glancing down at her watch, she noticed it to be almost feeding time. Lovely. Their water already sat in their troughs, their leafy greens piled neatly on the handcarts to be shoveled in the paddock, their supplements and vitamins hidden inside said leafy greens. Her babies were healthy as oxen, Blossom helped ensure that.

Pulling her hair back into a ponytail she caught a glimpse of kinky, copper-brown curls tied up into a poof of a bun. Smoothing out any bumps in her hair, her eyes skirted about the crowd shuffling along the busy Main Street for the curls. Was that who she thought it was? Amidst all the moving bodies trudging through the thrills of a populated theme park, she noticed one stationary body. A woman donned in a golden sundress paired with the tallest suede heels.  
They were always suede heels.

Locking eyes, the woman began making her way through the Red Sea of people that looked to part just for her.

"Bubbles!" Her high-pitched voice squealed in delight. (The woman would have more likely to have preferred squealing with disdain. She was always such a good actress. Constantly beating her out for the top bill in their college productions.) "It has been far too long my dear. Far too long." The woman's arms held out to her, inviting her for a hug over the railing of the paddock. It hasn't been long enough, she wished to say but accepted the woman's hug - the paddock wall keeping some distance between the two. "We really must catch up. Has it really been a year since we last saw each other? How have you and your lovely sisters been?" Lovely sisters? She hated her sisters - nay, all of her family, herself included. Especially Blossom. The woman detested her oldest sister almost as much as she detested wearing something from last season. And she had a new wardrobe for every season.

"It really has been too long Princess. All has been well with my family, Blossom is busy as ever with the new attraction. It's supposed to open in the fall." The woman, Princess, walked over to the exit gate silently asking permission to enter. Of course she would want to skip the line. Little kids and Princess did not mix. Like strawberry vodka and fireball. (Princess actually did that at a party back in college and she may still have the photos of the mess Princess had become. Blackmail bitch, blackmail.)

"I know! I already pre-ordered a ticket for the attraction's opening weekend! I heard it's a pack this time as opposed to the usual sole apex carnivore, or so the advertisements have been saying. Sounds quite exciting." During her lunch break, she was off to the nursery where the Velociraptors currently resided. Well after she scarfed down a bean burrito. The scientist enforced a strict policy of no food in the nursery. The girls too young to be released into the paddock, their vitals being under constant monitoring for any signs of their cells tearing them apart.

"Are we all still going to have dinner while I'm in this hemisphere? I'm quite looking forward to us all enjoying a family style pizza again." Just because her dad owned one of the largest corporations in the world and theirs didn't did not mean they couldn't afford anything more than family style pizza - and excuse me, Johnny's Pizzeria is the closest you'll come to New York Style pizza in all of Costa Rica. That place is the wonder and Princess should be grateful they shared such a treasure with her ungrateful self.

"Any way an old friend can catch a preview?"

"I'm not sure. We'd have to run it by Blossom, who would have to run it by the handler to see if the girls are ready for unfamiliar faces, and the geneticists who monitor them 24/7 to see if they're ready for unfamiliar bacteria. Not saying you're a boatload of bacteria but all humans carry copious amounts of bacteria and pathogens that may be harmless to our bodies but to creatures millions of years old who genetically lack immune systems accustomed to human bacterium can be quite lethal." Damn Blossom would be proud. Be poised yet powerful, as her sister always told her.

Princess sent her a pout before quickly putting on a (fake) smile. Never one to do anything to cause wrinkles. Her expensive golden contacts she originally starting buying back in fifth grade were a preemptive strike against crows feet.

"What a shame. Guess I'll have to wait like the rest of these-" hanging on the end of the word, she glanced around at the simpletons (probably the term she would have used had Princess been alone) visiting the paddock, "patrons."

"Guess you will." She muttered in response. A small Gallimimus trotting near looked up at her with glossy, round eyes. "Well I best be getting back to work. It's the little ones' lunch time. Seems this little one came by to remind me."

"Dinner on me! I'm actually staying at the hotel here. Daddy and I wanted to try your Jurassic themed golf course. Mother isn't very good at golf but she figured may as well try it. Heard it's one of the best courses in the world. When in Rome right? Well ta-ta." She smiled, her voice light, trying to make her farewell sound not as shrill as usual. It was too early to be dealing with Princess. And now she'd be stuck seeing her everyday with her staying at the Honey, one of thousands in the chain started by Mr. Mayor. He named the chain after his wife. The notation was totes adorable, but it's weird name for a hotel chain.

* * *

 **To: Mikeeeee**

I'm coming to see these cutie pooties after I eat this salad. Be ready

 **From: Mikeeeee**

Only if you promise to assist me in making the best Devil's Food Cake later

 **To: Mikeeeee**

Why?

 **From: Mikeeeee**

I want Devil's Food Cake?

Also weren't you telling me how much you wanted a bean burrito like an hour ago?

* * *

"Good afternoon." she smiled as the door to the Velociraptors' nursery. They were cute, not as cute as her babies but cute in an odd way. Mike sat at one of the tables, speaking with Beau, the second Raptor Handler in Training. Currently Handler Number Two is Michael but his time with the raptors is only temporary. Unlike with Brick - who was near the girls chatting with a certain red-haired sister of hers and she may have made a mental note to text Robin later - Beau's job could be demoted. Brick will always be Handler Number One, though mainly more for hazard pay than raptor knowledge. If they have to go in the paddock, he will _always_ be the one in the paddock. One of the laws of being Head Handler. Beau has more knowledge of the girls but has no experience with living apex predators.

That and Blossom gets a weird feeling with him. She explained to him that they will go through a training period. If he passes the training period the job is his. He is getting paid for said training period but Blossom is still looking for a second in command _just in case_.

"How are the girls doing?" Blossom turned to greet her, calling her over to join their conversation. Should she go over there? Blossom was laughing at whatever it was Brick had said to her and he looked damn proud about that. Kinda resembled when she stumbled upon them at the bar the other night. The restaurant they chose was great but if you wanted an alcoholic drink you had to physically walk to the bar and request it. Guess it's their way to try and curb excessive drinking with the fact you have to put in an effort to get said drinks. Bubbles had gone to the bathroom to fix the straps of her dress, which had loosened, when she saw the pair leaning against the stool-less bar chatting. Brick already had a drink in his hand but they seemed too wrapped up in each other's company to care about such a minor detail. It was cute as hell ohmygod. She would like to know how she has never noticed this before but thanks to Robin both she and BC have their eyes wide open now.

Blossom phone chirped and she let out a small groan. She would guess the groan is due to Princess, but Blossom had no clue she was on the island yet. More than likely an email from the Board of Twits. "Tell them that the Megalodon is a great idea and they can suck it."

"The giant shark?" Brick confusingly asked. "The one Shark Week always says is still alive after millions of years?"

"It's not a dinosaur." Blossom muttered, speedily typing out a response.

"Technically neither is the Mosasaurus. It's a carnivorous aquatic reptile." Mike stated, leaning back in his chair, "Nor is it from the Jurassic period, in case you were wondering." Rose colored eyes glared in Mike's direction, "Hey, I know you already knew that. The other redhead didn't."

Rolling her eyes, Blossom returned her attention to her cell phone. "If they were to favor extinct aquatic non-dinosaurs, they'd chose the Pliosaurus or the Kronosaurus before they'd approve the Megalodon."

"I have no idea what either of those are." Brick stated, glancing between the two of them silently asking for an answer. His crimson orbs turned to her and she shrugged. She knew what was in the park mainly. Ask her about a Triceratops and she could tell you everything and anything - they were always Blossom's favorite. She probably knew more about Triceratops than anybody by the age of seven, meaning Bubbles and Buttercup knew more than anybody about Triceratops by age seven as well.

"Mega-lo-don, Mega-lo-don." Mike stated to chant, and she did as well. She knew what the Megalodon was, not the other two. She'd go with the one she knew. He then slammed his hands o the table as he stood up, "You can do one of those swimming with the shark things, except you can swim with the Megalodon!"

Blossom pocketed her phone, "First of all, they would never approve of it for the Board would say that the Mosasaurus, although completely different, is too akin to the Megalodon. Steering clear of aquatic predators for right now. Second of all, I prefer to have the guests leave the park alive and not in body bags, when the Megalodon finishes the cage in one bite. Finally, third of all I may have a say in what is presented to the focus groups, but I am not the one who selects what appears on the list. I approve the list alongside the Board."

Mike then grumbled something about the Mosasaurus and the Megalodon.

"I can tell you a certain horned lizard made the list."

"FUCK YES! I WANT TO BE INVOLVED!"

"You have the girls and Rexy. I am not approving of you being added to a third project." Blossom called over her shoulder as she leaned in to hug Bubbles. "Sorry I have to head out. Meeting is being bumped up a half hour. So much for lunch." She then turned to say goodbye to the guys in the room before gracefully walking out.

"Okay what the hell is a Krono-thing and a Pile-something? Also what is a horned dinosaur?" Brick asked but received no answer. Instead Mike pulled out his phone to send a million and one messages out to Blossom asking her to change her mind. Beau simply shrugged. He had a focus in raptors more than aquatic reptiles. Rolling his eyes, Brick turned back to the girls. Bubbles slowly slid closer to him. She would gauge as much as she could out of this conversation. Who cares if it was elementary school-ish as Blossom had mentioned earlier. Her oldest sister had been wearing this shield on her heart for too long and Bubbles was going to do something about it dammit! Time to go - spy mode.

"So..." damn what should Spy Bubbles do at this moment? "Uh..." dammit... "What are their names?" she ending up asking. Brick raised an eyebrow at her. She would too if someone took that long to simply ask that question.

"Well first, each has a different strand of DNA inserted into her. Tat's what produces their unique superficial traits. I call that one Berserk." he pointed to a teal Velociraptor. Unlike the others, she had no distinct design pattern dancing across her hide. Her eyes on the other hand were a blood red color. She sat curled into herself on a bed of small leaves, her eyes following their ever move. "One minute she's calm, the next she's going berserk on her sisters. Hence, Berserk. She has the most amount of avian DNA resulting in more bird-esque traits."

He then pointed to the a raptor with dark-bluish skin. A large metallic blue stripe ran along the length of her body. She sat, similar to the other on a bed of small leaves but would lean over and steal a few from a different sister's pile. "She's a brat." He rolled his eyes.

"She thinks she's daddy's little girl but really drives him up a wall." Mike called out. He had pulled out a deck of cards and began playing solitaire. Is this what it was like to be a handler to baby apex predators, you just chill in an air conditioned nursery briefly looking at the girls who resided in a large incubator? Or at least what it was like to be Michael?

"Anyway, I've been calling her Brat mainly because that's what comes out whenever she does something. She has Black-Throated Monitor DNA in her. They're some type of weird looking lizard." Mr. Lion Whisperer just knows the jungle cats huh?

He then pointed to one with dark green skin. Vertical black stripes ran across her body. "I call her Brute, because it also begins with a B." Bubbles laughed at that comment. Maybe that's what Brick had been telling Blossom when she walked in. "She tends to pounce on her sisters a lot, always ready for the hunt. Uh shit..." he looked pissed at himself as he thought about something, "Green Iguana DNA, fuck I hate myself." Two sets of snickers were heard from the table.

"And this one, has no name." he looked a bit down-trodden admitting that. "I just can't seem to find something fitting. She's the most docile of them, as you can see with Brat stealing her bedding she's still calm as ever. Sweet little unnamed carnivore." The final Velociraptor was brown in coloring with several blue streaks running vertically. Brat accidentally nipped her tall, one of her eyes peaked open. It looked almost a if she gave her sister the side eye with her lavender colored eye.

She bit her lip. He was going with a B motif, should she? No she shouldn't... but maybe-

"Hey you want anything? Water, soda, coffee? Beau and I are running to grab drinks." they both shook their heads.

"I possibly have a name." she muttered, placing a hand to the clear walling of the incubator. "Promise you won't laugh."

"Can I say scouts honor if I was never a scout?" He asked. She gave a half smile in response, paying more attention to the 'docile' creature before her.

"I've tried to use this name time and time again but each time I just couldn't do it." Her voice was low as she bent to become level with the raptor. They had grown so much already from the photographs she saw from their hatching. Blossom and Mike both informed her they were almost ready to be transported to the paddock, just a few more days. She deserved a name before she was sent out into the world. "What about Bunny?"

True to his word Brick kept from laughing, but it didn't mean he didn't struggle with it. "Bunny? For an apex predator? Isn't that a bit ironic, like calling a large guy 'Tiny'?"

"It-" screw it she's mentioning it, "Look, it would mean a lot to my _sisters_ and I." Hopefully her emphasizing sisters helped him clue in she meant in his case more along the lines of one sister, "We had a fourth sister." She could feel the tears starting to develop, god don't cry you crybaby, don't cry. She bit her lip in defiance against the tears. "Our parents struggled a lot to have us. That sometimes happens with couples of a later age, not that there's anything wrong with being older parents." She defended. Back in elementary school, there was always some snot-nosed kid who made a joke about their parents being old. BC usually punched them in response while Blossom told them off and Bubbles stuck her tongue out. "They ended up using basically _every_ fertility treatment on the market. In turn that lead to triplets. Now the fourth one just kinda happened. No treatments, no hormones, no special diets. Mom figured she wouldn't be able to have anymore kids, neither did Dad. The pregnancy was running smoothly, no issues whatsoever, not even morning sickness until the third trimester when the baby came two months early. A problemless pregnancy lead to a baby littered with problems. Heart, lungs, you name it, it eventually failed. Nothing appeared during the ultrasounds or sonograms saying something was wrong. She was alive for a day at most." Her pointer finger danced in a small circle against the glass. "I was there, when it went wrong. Bloss, BC, and I were being held up by our Dad and our Uncle Eugene - have you meant him yet, he works here as a paleobotanist. Probably not, he's been out on a dig for a while only returned about a week ago. Anyway we were watching as the nurses took her out to let Mom rest after being in labor for 37 hours. I remember nicknaming her Bunny. Dad asked why and I said it was because she was cute. Not even two minutes later everything became a blur. The machine she was hooked up to was blaring, the doctors and nurses racing around handing each other tools and masks, then one called my Dad over to the other end of the hallway. The one thing I really remember making out from the hysteria was my dad falling into on of the chairs at the end of the hall. We came home a few days later to an empty nursery and my Mom and Dad throwing themselves into their jobs at the time.

"I've tried so many times to name one of my girls in her memory but every time I chicken out."

Brick placed a hand to her shoulder and nodded, "Berserk, Brute, Brat, and Bunny. If they make name plates like at zoos, the patrons are going to be confused as hell."

Brushing a hand under her eyes to clean any forming tears, Bubbles muttered a thank you. Her fingers danced on the glass once more. Unlike when she had first done it, the baby was okay.

* * *

Golden eyes darted to the gold Rolex that rested against her porcelain wrist. They were late. What was taking so damn long? She agreed to come to some hole-in-the-wall rather than one of the five star restaurants the concierge recommended, they should at least be on time. She eyed the water glass disdain. God she was going to catch something sitting here and if that pudgy male with the receding hair did not avert his attention within the next two seconds he was getting a pummeling from her bodyguard. She hated common people. They weren't worthy getting her hands dirty with a punch.

She had released her curls from the confines of a bun before entering the establishment and she regretted it. The placed lacked air conditioning for there was no back wall, allowing for patrons to flow freely between the 'restaurant' and the 'patio' out back. At least she had a new bottle of mango hand sanitizer in her purse. Maybe she should call her bodyguard over now to sanitize her hands once more.

She never cared her bag around. Why do that when she could pay people to do it for her?

Her nude colored gel nails tapped against the table's surface she had the waiter clean off twice. Just in case. For fuck's sake where were they? She was a very important person and did not like to be kept waiting! Especially seeing as the eight person hot tub in her suite was fully operational (as opposed to that retched one back in Prague two months ago that was ice cold) and the hot lifeguards at the hotel's pool happened to be getting off shift in an hour and a half.

A mop of blond hair swiftly weaved his way through the maze of tables before pulling out one of the chairs in front of her. "Sorry I'm-"

She raised a hand to silence him. She did not need apologizes, she needed results. Shutting his mouth, he handed over his phone. Smart boy.

Holding up the device in the air near her ear, her bodyguard casually strolled passed lifting it from her hands.

"Next time, make sure to hand it over to him before getting here." He nodded. Good. "Where are your brothers?" she asked, glancing at the face of her Rolex once more.

"Butch is on his way." The blond diverted his eyes to the far corner of the room, "Brick won't be coming. He's caught up in preparing the paddock."

She raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow in annoyance, "What do you mean he won't be coming? We set this meeting so he would be able to come."

"He's the Head Handler of the paddock. He is the most important person in regards to the raptors, I'm merely a handler in training. I'm useless when it comes to setting everything up. Especially when Mike is-"

"Shut up." she raised her hand once again to silence him. "I don't even care who this 'Mike' is right now, what do you mean by handler in training? I thought we settled on you being an IT guy."

"They always lo-"

"An IT guy." He closed his mouth and leaned back in his seat. Fucking imbecile. Where was the other imbecile? The only one with half a brain was apparently not coming. And he was the best looking one too. God the other two were probably the worst corporate spies in the world and she got stuck with them! She gave him a very simple task. Insert himself into the main frame to assist the other two. She payed good money for his falsified background and he flips the fucking script she and his brother wrote? Speaking of. "Why had Brick not informed me of this change in plans?"

"Because he originally didn't know?" The blond at least looked abashed, "Father thought it would work best." Damn, she couldn't reprimand him for that. His Father was one of her favorite people in the world. Impeccable taste in clothes, furniture, power. But she does not like to be crossed. He isn't the one who funds the laboratory now he is? This is going to be her company, not his. He doesn't decide it's fate without consulting her. _No one_ decides the company's fate without consulting her first.

"Brick did provide a possible name that they will be presenting to focus groups. Blossom" God that bitch, thinking she' so perfect because her Daddy brings dinosaurs back to life, "said that one of the dinosaurs was a 'horned lizard'. Brick after researching found the Ceratosaurus, whose name literally means horn dinosaur."

"How does having a creature they propose to test in focus groups help me? I need deconstructions of the dinosaurs' makeups, embryos, something?! Ours aren't surviving long."

"You made a dinosaur?" Why did he looked so surprised. The right amount of money can do wonders.

"Your 'Old Man' as you call him made one but it's cells weren't stable and it." It apparently just was not enough money. Finally Imbecile Number 2! At least he handed over his phone on arrival. He sat beside his brother, pulling out a small notebook from his back pocket.

"Here is everything I have so far regarding security, protocols, weapons, and maneuvers performed by ACU."

She held up to fingers to the waiter, who brought out two plates of Kobe strip steak. She had to pay for the busboy to go out and buy the ingredients, what kind of place is this. "Provide me with what I want and you shall be rewarded." Rolling her eyes, she held u her water glass. The waiter ran behind the bar before coming back out with an expensive bottle of red Bordeaux. "Perfect." She then looked at Beau's place setting. "Oh dear Boomer, he seems to have left your plate there. Don't worry love, let me call him back over. You shouldn't have to sit there with an empty plate in front of you if you're not eating."

* * *

 **THE POWERPUFF GIRLS MOVIE IS ON CARTON NETWORK'S WEBSITE! IT'S UNDER THE REBOOT'S EPISODES! I WAS WATCHING IT WHILE WORKING ON PART OF THIS. CAN YOU FIND THE LINE FROM THE MOVIE?**

 **I NEVER NOTICED IT BUT DURING THEIR GAME OF TAG BLOSSOM WAITS BEFORE THE LIGHT CHANGES TO CROSS THE STREET. THAT IS SO CUTE OH MY GOD REASONS SHE'S THE FAV. THEY'RE ALL SO CUTE IN THIS MOVIE!**

 **Then again they're always cute...**

 **I had to throw in a nod to Bunny. I had this idea since the start, I just couldn't figure out the other three but one was always going to be named Bunny. I know the Professor never met Bunny but whatever.**

 **Sorry Boomer is getting the shit end of the stick. Oops.**

 **SIDENOTE: Misty was recently in an episode of Pokemon and I missed it D:**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello my lovelies. Guess who's back, back again - it is I, don't tell anyone. This actually took really long to do and it's shorter than I wanted.**

 **I got Breath of the Wild for Christmas and oh my god(dess). As someone who has played nearly every game in the franchise since her grandpa introduced a six-year-old her to Ocarina of Time, never have I died so many damn times. Like I think I got half way through Twilight Princess before I died yet three seconds into BotW I have a Game Over scene. I hope they have a tally like in Fallout (which was the game I was playing prior to BotW) that shows you how many times you died because I'm gonna be in the triple digits -hella maybe higher by the time I finish this game. Stupid Blue Bokoblins hitting me once with their damned Boko spears and I die meanwhile my 50 point weapon needs like four hits before they drop their weapon.**

.

.

Blossom's eyes roamed the paddock watching the pack relax in the grass. The largest and youngest of the reptiles curled into herself beside their small pond, her tail brushing against the ground happily. Her head slowly rose from its comfortable position. Her eyes focusing on something. The most docile of the quartet extended her neck, plucking a small flower from its spot in the earth to munch on. If she hadn't seen her tear apart a raw steak the other day, Blossom would believe the Velociraptor had accidentally been made designed as a herbivore. While her sisters embraced their more feral side, Bunny was more prone to be in this exact position. Once Blossom had even witnessed her run alongside fireflies chirping happily. If only the other three were as innocuous.

Brat (as Brick found himself calling her) sat near the same pond in their paddock hidden under the foliage of the trees. Her head held high, neck poised, eyes tempting her two older sisters to try her. When Brat became content that she would not be bothered, she lowered her head to primp herself – picking away at the scales on her arms.

Berserk and Brute stood not too far from the others slowly encircling one another.

While Bunny was passive and Brat was too busy embracing the phrase 'Treat Yo Self' (Blossom had no clue any wild animal could behave like Brat), Berserk and Brute's animalistic tendencies made up for their sisters' lack of. Brute was aptly named; charging head on during hunts, challenging her sisters - mainly Berserk - to wrestling matches, attacking any unlucky bug that chose to land in their paddock. She could often be found annoying Brat and making Bunny's life hell. The moment they began any hunting drills, Brute usually made the first attacks – first few attacks.

Berserk. How did she describe Berserk? One minute she'd be laying out like Bunny, the next she'd be jumping onto Brute's back nipping and clawing at Brute – thankfully nothing too serious – her usual adversary. Brute may make the first move but Berserk _always_ made the last. She'd be the one to pounce and tear whatever they were hunting to shreds with her finishing blow.

If she were being honest, Berserk terrified her and embodied every reason why Blossom fought for the raptors not to be an attraction. They had been separated by 75 million years for a reason.

"Ready?" she heard Brick ask and she had to bit her lip to keep from telling him no. No she wasn't ready, she'd never be ready.

Pulling her tablet and stylus from her bag, Blossom resigned herself to their newest trial "Let's begin."

Brick nodded, approaching the fence around the paddock's catwalk. He pulled a small metal tube from his pocket, raising the device into the air. Bunny's, because she's basically Brick's little girl (and obviously not his favorite),head shot up first. Her violet eyes locking on the device in his hand. She slowly rose too her feet, her claws dragging against the ground as she stood. Due to her new position, Bunny stood in Brat's line of vision. Turning her head to face her sister, the blue-eyed raptor sharply snapping her teeth in annoyance, the tension fading when she took heed of the device in Brick's hand. She too slowly stood up, eyes glued to the device.

A low trill from Bunny had the final two turning to face them as well. Berserk, who had pinned the fourth sister to the ground lifted her manus – a claw dragging along Brute's neck. Originally Blossom thought nothing to be wrong until the fourth stood up, blood trailing from the wound. "Hey!" Brick called out, though four pairs of reptilian eyes had already been trained on him. Berserk's sickle tapping against the ground in a frightening symphony. That sickle claw could cut the jugular of a Triceratops. The reptiles only came up to her knees yet humans stood no match for them – and yet the Board of Twits believed bringing them back to life would solidify a human's place as top of the food chain.

Opposable thumbs and modern technology should be the top of the food chain. A minute or so passed with no sound aside from the tap tap tapping of her sickle claw. A creak rung out in the silent paddock to the left of them, Berserk and Brute's eyes shifting towards the noise.

"Ay!" Brick hollered, clicking the device twice, "Look at me." He commanded, two fingers pointing towards himself.

The tapping sped up.

Berserk took a step forward and immediately Brick clicked the device twice, "No. Wait." Training Velociraptors like household animals via operant conditioning was not a feat Blossom though possible. Never in 75 million years. Yet here she stood baring witness to an adapted form of the clicker method playing out. B. F. Skinner probably never thought this imaginable. These were – are – wild, intelligent creatures. Able to act on their own, think on their own. She never thought it possible to control a pack – then again, Brick was their Alpha.

At least until Berserk over threw him.

Even at such a tender age, the beta showed minuscule signs of insubordination. Signs Blossom feared. He may have been daring enough to befriend an array of jungle cats (and gazelles, can't forget the gazelles) but would that be enough? Thankfully Mike is limiting Brick's time in the paddock. A small hatch opened to the left of them releasing a small pig into the raptor den.

Brick clicked twice more. What did they do? She hadn't noticed anything out of order. Agitatedly, Berserk lowered herself closer to the ground the tapping never ceasing. Bunny's violet eyes strayed from Brick once, shifting to where her eldest sister stood glaring at her behavior. The sound of hooves beating against the ground fading the further the pig fled. Raising his hand, Brick surveyed the quartet, "Hide and seek girls, hide and seek." His eyes settled on Bunny who trilled excitedly. Dropping his hand, he told them to go marking the start of the hunt. Berserk let out a vehement battle cry dashing off into the foliage to the left, Brat not too far behind. Brute and Bunny racing to the right. Their reptilian bodies disappearing amid the trees. Leaves and branches subtly shifting as they stalked their prey. All too soon the shifting stopped. Were they ready to strike already?

A few terrified squeals being the only indicators there was life inhabiting the paddock. She couldn't see the girls nor could she hear the telltale sign of the talons scrapping on the ground. Pulling up the radar on her tablet, she watched four small blips inch across the screen. Shaking subtly, a chill ran up her back. Did no one else feel uncomfortable with this? If she had her way there would be no carnivorous dinosaurs being created. No Tyrannous Rex, no Mosasaurs, no Suchomimus, and definitely no pack of Velociraptors. Just herds and herds of Triceratopses- herbivores. She said herbivores.

Surveying from the center of the catwalk, she saw a small bush quiver not too far way. Glancing down at the scene she noticed it to be a purple blip – okay so that's Bunny. Usually she gets a few strikes in before Berserk goes in for the kill. Then again this was the first time they were hunting a live animal. Maybe their usual roles in the hunt would need to be modified. No longer were they attacking several steaks crafted into a pseudo-prey hidden amidst the paddock.

Brute's call rung out through the quiet arena to the right of them. All four heads shifted towards the noise, a few branches high up in a tree shaking as she leapt from her perch to attack the pig. But the swine raced faster. It's hooves pounding deafeningly. Every time Brute went in to bite the pig, it would serve and run in a different direction.

"Serpentine, serpentine." Mike whispered beside her. Hey, it didn't want to be lunch, Blossom could understand. If Peter Falk could serpentine to get away from a bullet, then this pig was determined to serpentine to get away from a predator.

"She's too offensive." Brick observed, "She's striking, not thinking. She's not waiting for the pack."

"No wonder she's named Brute." Blossom muttered to herself, switching from the radar to her notes page. Jotting down any observations she saw. "Plus, the battle screech gave away her position." The young dinosaurs (read: Brute) had a bit to learn in the ways of stealth before they became full-fledged huntresses. Scratch that read: Brute and Berserk. The red-eyed raptor stalked forward through a small clearing Brute had inadvertently guided the pig into. With slow, calculated steps towards her prey, Berserk let out a low humming sound. Was she taunting it? A slight shift of the bush in caught Blossom's attention. Bunny had found a hiding spot in that bush.

A faint creaking of a branch reverberating through the foliage. What was that?

Berserk let out a low click noise, her head lowering with each step. In response to the click, Bunny sprung out from the bush, landing on the swine. Brat jumping down from her well-hidden spot in the tree line simultaneously.

Blossom averted her eyes not wishing to watch what occurred. A call rung out from Brute once more, this one lower, announcing that the first strike had been made.

Had Brute's headstrong charge at the pig been a means to get the pig to go where they wanted?

She had a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling about this.

* * *

"So Big Brother, how's Oceania?" Buttercup asked, dropping down from the rock she had climbed up on.

Groaning, Blossom slid down from the smaller rock she stood on, landing in a puddle. "You do know Big Brother is an allegory for an abuse of power typically through means of mass surveillance, right? And I'm not the one who watches the cameras all day, that's what I pay Mitch to do."

Buttercup shrugged in response. Letting out a second groan, Blossom tried to ignore the now squishy feeling of her wet socks with every step she took. What was with her sister and that damned book. They read it in high school. Back then Buttercup thought it was a decent novel but ever since Blossom was promoted to Operations Manager it seemed to be the only book her sister knew. It wasn't even that good – well it was but the main characters were not very likeable. Fickle characters really. The villains served as better characters.

"Aside from being an allegory for a government abusing its people's right to privacy – which I'm not saying you, well Mitch does – it's also a shitty realty TV show Bubbles has saved to her DVR where you watch everything that goes on."

"I'm not ashamed to admit I like shitty realty television." The blonde said, jumping down purposely into the puddle, causing some of the water to fling out onto Buttercup's bare calves. "I enjoy shitty realty television and I record some episodes on your DVR when I run out of room. So ha." She punctuated her sentence by sticking out her tongue at the brunette.

Playing with the dyed green ends of her ponytail, Buttercup turned around to face them, "I didn't mean anything by it, you know. Just that someone's always watching and typically Big Brother is seen as the head of the snake. You, my dear older sister, just happen to be said head, ergo you are Big Brother." Rolling her eyes, Blossom plopped onto a small ledge made in a rock formation. Pulling out an extra pair of socks from the small canvas bag slung over her shoulder. Better change them now before walking in her hiking boots became too uncomfortable. As she sat, her phone made a noise. Both sisters swung around, telling her no phones on Sister Hike Night unless one of them was dying. Sticking her tongue out at her sisters, Blossom pulled her phone from its pouch to spite them. She knew the rules and so did their mother - meaning this text must be important. "It's Mom." The two instantly flanked her, trying to see what their mom would be messaging her about. "Just says she wants to know if I need a ride tomorrow. She probably just didn't notice what time it was." Stuffing her phone back in its pouch, she asked if they were continuing on.

"Where are you going tomorrow? Bubbles asked, her head tilting to the side a few curls freeing themselves from the confines of her bun.

"Isla Sorna." She grumbled, shifting her voice to mimic one of the Twits, she continued, "In addition to the creation of a new attraction here in Jurassic World, we've reviewed the numbers and believe an expansion of this _measly_ island is what we need. Every great theme park has a few parks that encompass it. Disney World has four parks: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. Universal has two parks: Universal Studios and Island of Adventure. If we are to compete with the likes of them we are to expand to the other islands." Blossom's voice then returned to it's usual pitch, "They are urging for Mayor to purchase the other four islands in the Muertes Archipelago." Flipping her ponytail over her shoulder, Blossom began glaring down at her feet. "Maybe a carnivorous jungle on Isla Sorna? A walking tour traversing the Cenozoic Era on Isla Matanceros?" Blossom then raised her head to meet her sister's gazes, "I jokingly said we should encompass an escape the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction but I think they liked that idea." Letting at a strangled groan, Blossom tugged at the end of her ponytail. They had been emailing her all week about an expansion and introducing more and more packs of apex predators to the park. Why couldn't they add packs of Iguanodons or Sauroposeidons. Not every animal in a conservation park needs to be a meat eater, why does every dinosaur have to?

Buttercup sent her a smirk and shrugged, "To be honest, I'd partake in an escape the extinction experience and so would a decent amount of Jurassic World's vistors."

Ignoring their sister's comment, Bubbles raised a brow in question, "But unlike other theme parks, we have actual living dinosaurs. What's to compete with?" And the fact these are living creatures, not some flashy thrill ride Bubbles wished to add but knew her sister had a similar stance.

"Morebucks." Buttercup's teeth clenched. When her sisters showed no knowledge of what she was talking about, the brunette continued. "A few of my ACU members had been approached by employees of the Morebucks Corporation about coming to work for the park they intend on opening in the fall. Promos are going up end of next week. At least that's what Kim told me earlier. None of my crew took the offers."

Morebucks made a dinosaur? That wasn't possible, Blossom thought. She'd be too proud not to gloat. Hell, she was t their park. Princess had he perfect opportunity to bring it up. _You're not the only one with an old ass reptile._

"Wouldn't she have mentioned it?" Bubbles asked, her thoughts along the same line as Blossom. "We've known her our whole lives, she's never once not taken the time to point out her successes." It was odd, wasn't it?

"Maybe she's trying to be humble?" Buttercup asked with a shrug, her voice breaking as she laughed. "I tried really hard to say that with a straight face."

Blossom looked between her sisters then upwards as if searching the setting sun for the answers, "She's up to something. She would have gladly mentioned multiple times how her scientists successfully cloned a dinosaur."

"A raptor." Buttercup corrected, "Successfully cloned a raptor. They plan on the raptors being their main selling point. Similar to how the T-Rex was our symbol." Great, Blossom would be unveiling Jurassic World's pack of Velociraptors while Princess unveiled a whole park with the Velociraptor acting as it's prized attraction. Is it still considered healthy competition when the head of your opposing park thoroughly hates you and wishes for your demise near daily? Not like she only had the possibility of an expansion on her hands because one _measly island_ with a hand full of dinosaurs would never survive in this economy.

The princess (in more ways than one) for as long as the sisters had known her was prone to jealous and self-advantageous behavior. After years of the Morebucks Corporation being cast in the shadows of MayGen Princess would finally be raising their status yet she didn't bask in any of the glory of possibly being in the forefront? Something was up… something that did not bode well for the Operations Manager.

"Let's continue our hike shall we?" Bubbles asked, half jovially, half in hope. Her arm linking through her sisters'. "Screw the snot and her possible dinosaur. Isn't competition supposed to be good? Kind of had a monopoly on the whole living dinosaur exhibit thing. This exact turn of events I may not have anticipated but, I've been expecting some Sherman Anti-Trust Act shenanigans for a while now and I know you two have as well. Let Morebucks challenge us. Her dinosaurs won't be half as amazing as ours."

"Obviously, we have triceratopses." Blossom declared proudly.

Bubbles toyed with the sleeve of her shirt, her face giving away her internal debate over something. Before Blossom could say anything Bubbles decided to just go for it. "Have you done your post-hire interview with the Raptor boys?" Blossom should have said to not speak...

"Judging from the face she hasn't." Buttercup observed, crossing her arms. The action causing her tattoos to contort, distorting her beautiful canvas of inked skin. That was an interesting looking elephant.

Bubbles let out a chuckle, tossing her head back in delight. What was so damned funny? "I'll have you know I've been quite busy running the park that employees both of you. I haven't had a chance to squeeze their meetings into my schedule."

Buttercup raised an eyebrow in question - the same eyebrow she had asked them if she should pierce or not. Blossom was for it - "Meetings plural. As in you won't be interviewing them together?"

She never interviewed the handlers together. She liked to give them a one and one chance with her to discuss any qualms they may be having. She liked giving each handler their own time slot to ensure they felt like their opinions mattered as opposed to them speaking forum style. Especially when their problem happened to be their fellow handler. (Happened a lot more than she would like to admit.)

At least with Bubbles' interview they got it over with on the plane home to see their family back in Townsville. Perks of her sister being an employee, could host the session anywhere. Everyone else she would have to book a night at the hibachi restaurant when both of them were free. She liked to treat her employees to dinner, make them feel less like an underling and more like a benefit to the Jurassic World team. That and when they ran out of things to say, they could watch the chef prepare the hibachi staple: an onion volcano.

"You know how I perform my interviews. I just haven't had a chance to arrange the meetings. I've been busy all month, the one free night I really had recently was when we all went out." And why did it matter that she hadn't done her usual post-hire interview right away? She usually completed them within two months of the employee being hired. Always time for them to get used to the park. Never had her sisters inquired about these interviews before. "Can we just continue our hike? I'm reinstating the No Work Talk rule. We should have never lifted that ordinance. It is back in effect as of right now." She ignored the giggle and snicker that came from both of her younger sisters.

And it was more like a Q&A segment than an interview. The questions were to shape the person's traits and their experience at the park but in an informal way while simultaneously getting them comfortable around her. Hell, it was more like an AMA thread than an interview. They got to ask anything they wished to her - well within reason and work appropriate... and she got to know everything the enjoyed and everything they disliked about the park.

It wasn't even that big a deal!

Her sisters exchanged a knowingly look before Buttercup adjusted her tank top.

* * *

Pushing the end call button, Princess glared at the reflection in the glass. That was the third time he had ignored her calls this evening – she had lost count of the total number of calls he had ignored within the past few days. She was leaving soon for the labs back in the US and she intended on arriving with a means to succeed in creating a viable asset. They were close. The monkey brain of a head geneticist had created several living, breathing dinosaurs only for them to perish on the same day. He said they were missing something, an enzyme maybe or the DNA/RNA sequences weren't in the proper order or – to be honest she stopped listening halfway through when it became apparent she did not in fact have any viable dinosaurs to inhabit the park they were building on an island in the Indian Ocean. That and the monkey brain repeats himself incessantly and she just wanted to shove her pen down his throat.

Unlike the fools at Jurassic World, her park would be a short flight from the world's two most highly populated countries: China and India. Easier access to the masses, more money in her pocket.

Gripping her glasses, the golden irises glared out the tinted window. She wanted to kill the bastard. Damn his appealing looks and his brain, otherwise she would have fired him a month ago. That and his 'Old Man' was her head geneticist. Swirling a tumbler of scotch in her hand Princess tried to calm her mind - her three fingers now down to one. She should just hire a whole new slew of scientists and pay them to work 24/7 until the damned creatures were sucking up oxygen. She grew tired of needless issues. Throwing back the rest of the glass she tossed it to the side, the sharp sound of shattering glass resonating throughout the apartment.

Tearing her eyes from the night sky, her gaze drifted about the rather dull apartment offered to guests of the park. A sleek television stationed in front of a modern black leather couch. Glass tables throughout the place, stainless steel appliances cold to the touch. Rather run of the mill if you asked her. The art paled in comparison to the sculptures and paintings adorning her hotels. Pity. Her father spared no expense, unlike whoever was in charge of interior decorating here. May as well just blame the red-haired bitch. That was Princess' go to. Sitting to the right side of the glass table in the hall was a small pad with the Jurassic World letterhead. Hm. What was it those stupid self-help books her mother had gifted her said? If he's not answering you, make him listen. Grabbing the pad and a gold pen from her bag she began drafting a note to the beautiful bastard.

Honestly, was it that hard to find good help these days? He had seemed promising. Intelligent, driven, reeked of unabashed (and delightfully misplaced) abhorrence. He and his minions (which he referred to as 'brothers') looked to be the most suitable candidates for corporate espionage. But maybe her desire had bested her, veiling their sheer incompetence.

Fuck it was hard to be in charge. Pulling out her phone, she dialed a number she knew by heart and waited for the connection.

"Tell me something good for once." She drawled, pouring herself another glass.

"Something good for once." The voice answered. Releasing a dry laugh, she took a sip from her neat beverage. "How about something a little less suitable for work?" She smirked as the rim of the glass touched her glossed lips. "I have a carton of China's finest Carfentanil." Music to her ears, fuck sounded wonderful. "In addition, I have enough Etophine to put a large herd of elephants to sleep and enough left over to put down a crash of rhinos."

"I've never been more turned on in my life. However, do I want to know how you came in possession of such large quantities of Schedule I and II substances?"

She could feel the smirk in the voice as it answered, "Illicit means."

"Fuck keep talking."

* * *

Standing in the viewing area of the paddock, Brick watched as Blossom jotted down an array of notes, listening to whatever was coming out of the engineer's mouth. The redhead asked an array of questions regarding the structural integrity of the paddock and the safety of the viewing area. Some questions he wouldn't have even thought about even if you gave him a week to think it over. Her youngest sister, Bubbles, standing beside her asking her own array of questions as well. A second - well third, seeing as Mike was the first to survey it - pair of eyes on the safety of the patrons when visiting the Raptor Research Arena. To be honest, Brick hadn't the faintest idea why Bubbles had been brought on as the back up eyes. She worked in the petting zoo, which in no way matched the colosseum-esque paddock Brick's girls resided in. But according to Mike, the girl knew what she was talking about and worked diligently alongside her hailstorm of a sister. And maybe she did know a thing or two about not having a dinosaur get out, what with their gates constantly opening and closing.

The group had been seated where the public would when they unveiled the Raptor Research Arena to the world. The sturdiest glass money could buy allowed for a spectacular view of the paddock unobstructed from the treetops. Below, the girls could be seen enjoying the warm weather. Bunny splashing about in the small pond, Brat cautiously watching to ensure no droplets landed on her, Brute and Berserk up to their usual shenanigans. A normal day in the neighborhood.

Boomer stood behind playing with something on his phone, Butch – one of the ACU members on watch – subtly shifting his hand to cover his pocket. Did Boomer really text Butch? He's two feet away – wait why didn't Brick get a text? Rude.

Buttercup lounged against one of the chairs offered for guests to sit in, her weapon shifted from her hip to her lap to become more comfortable. When you ran the last line of defense for possibly the most dangerous amusement park in the world, guess you got to do what you want.

Michael sat near the glass, typing away on his phone, then switching to his tablet, then back to his phone; repeating this process every time it buzzed. Someone was a hot commodity. Brick hadn't gotten a single text all day - well that was a lie, a single text he wanted.

"Time for the changing of the guard." Buttercup announced, shooting up from her seat. "Butch, you're free to go to lunch. I'm gonna head up to the catwalk and inform the others." She tossed her keys to her older sister who hadn't adverted her gaze from the engineer. Nice catch. "I want that AC cranking." Blossom fanned her hand towards the other, silently telling her to go away. Her attention solely on the engineer.

A minute or so passed before Blossom looked content with the answers given. "Alright Michael, ready for lunch?" Bubbles asked, relieving herself from the conversation. Blossom a few steps behind placing her tablet back into her bag.

"Finally, I've been thinking about those buffalo wings all day." He hopped up from his spot, shoving his phone hastily into his pocket.

The trio began their trek towards the stairs when Blossom stopped, "You three need a ride?"

Brick went to say no, he wanted a chance to speak with his brothers about the predicament they landed themselves in. Discuss alternatives to their current course of action. Regroup to formulate a new plan, maybe one less likely to end with them in prison. They wouldn't go to the fancy white collar prisons either. Once their previous juvenile delinquencies were brought to light, any reasonable jury would assume they had returned to a world of crime. But for fuck's sake it's not like the guy even knew Brick borrowed his Maserati. He just wanted to push 185 in the vehicle because of that stupid song by Joe Crocker. But the two beat him, saying "Yes." Shit.

The dreaded van that would confine Brick with the two people he wished to speak with about 'sensitive matters' and several witnesses he'd rather not discuss said matters in front of. Just his luck. Stupid decisions leading him to be stuck in stupid situations inside a swanky, tricked out assault vehicle. Blossom took up the passenger seat, the AC blasting on the highest setting. Bubbles and Michael had taken up the row of seats on the driver's side, Butch and Boomer seated across from them. "Robin says to pick her up first, she's closer than Mitch is. Actually, she said not to pick him up at all. 'He can forge for himself' are her exact words." Michael muttered, doodling an anatomically correct Jurassic World raptor on his tablet. (Or a non-anatomically correct regular velociraptor if you were a nit picker.) "And I swear you better not have that damned look on you face."

Bubbles turned to face him, pretending to look hurt at his words. Without looking up, Michael used his hand to push Bubbles' face back. "Don't."

She let out a huff, opting to face her sister instead, "People being presumptuous about what you're going to say even when it's a hundred percent inaccurate are quite rude."

Blossom, who had been fiddling with her skirt's hemline, once more did not steer her attention from what she was doing. "Not presumptuous and hundred percent accurate." Well, no support for the blonde.

The driver's side door being thrown open brought about a silence to their rather private conversation. Was that even a conversation? It was just a few words and an obscene hand gesture. "Alright dumbasses, where you want me to drop you off?"

"Wherever you're going." Butch teased, tossing in a wink for good measure though Bubbles, Michael, and Brick himself were the unintended recipients. The redhead twisted about in her seat and raised an eyebrow.

"What did we talk about?"

"No hitting on the boss."

"And what had been the implication in that sentence?"

"Hitting on the boss."

Wait what?

Buttercup cackled from her spot in the driver's seat, pulling a U-ie to get away from the paddock. "Hope you know by not giving me an answer this means you're either getting off at the lab, the control center or will have to tuck-n-roll. Your choice boys, your choice." Was none of the above an option?

"Robin says to just bypass the control center."

Buttercup's lime green eyes met her sister's blue ones in the rear view mirror. A silent conversation taking place. Blossom reached out a hand and placed it on Buttercup's shoulder, adding something to their conversation. With a sigh, Buttercup told the youngest to text Mitch they couldn't make it.

"I'm honestly contemplating reinstating the no dating coworkers thing." Blossom grumbled from her spot.

"Don't do that!" Michael rushed. "I mean-" his voice broke, "Parents! Your parents. Hella together. Rule won't work if the two most important-" Blossom's rose eyes narrowed in annoyance, "-two of the three most important people in the park are together."

"Married isn't dating now is it?" Bubbles teased laying down on the bench, her feet resting in Michael's lap. "Hella married. A marriage that predates the park's creation."

Buttercup picked up speed as they traversed the dirt paths of the restricted section, trees blurring as they passed. The lush landscape blending into hues of greens, whites and browns.

Had that been the trail to his bungalow? Probably.

Bubbles prattled on about something she wished for them to do over the weekend, Buttercup interjecting with sardonic quips every so often. His eyes drifted to the right. Blossom had collected her copper locks to pull them back into a ponytail. Her hand running along the back of her neck to catch any stray strands. Diverting his attention, both of his brothers leaned back against their seat, arms crossed, same eyebrow peaked in question. Why were they looking at him?

"Oh!" Bubbles yelled. The speed she sat up at had her long blonde curls racing about her. "Have you two settled on a date for your Post-Hire Evaluation?"

He'd bet the Electra Glide he was fixing up that his face mirrored the puzzled looks of his brothers. "It's nothing too scary. Boss Ma'am over here buys you dinner and you get to bitch about your fellow handler. Sorry Butch, you do not get treated to dinner because I don't care enough." Buttercup joked. At least he hoped she was joking. Her fingers drummed against the steering wheel as she hummed along to whatever song was softly playing through the speakers. Bubbles' head bobbed along, her foot tapping on the bench they sat on. Blossom had turned her head to stare out the window, watching the blurs of trees well blur passed them. His brothers were watching him. They looked rather uncomfortable. Well that's what you get for agreeing to ride with your fellow employees who think your committed to the job when actually you're only there to rob them. Amateurs. You hold 'em at arm's length. This is not arm's length.

"Now I'm thinking about cucumber rolls." Bubbles chuckled.

"No." Michael pouted, "I was promised buffalo wings!" Child.

Before Bubbles could respond, a different song rang out louder than the one playing over the speakers. Those were some interesting lyrics. Buttercup's right hand shot out to knock Blossom's purse off of her lap. Michael's leg reaching out to snag the handbag by the handles, tugging the accessory towards himself. The chorus of the song still ringing out. Buttercup, Bubbles, and Michael singing along – changing the name of the song's subject to 'dickhead'. Rather captivating lyrics they came up with in lieu of the actual line. Said line bringing the song to an end and the van into near silence. At least it ended on a positive note: life after this quote unquote dickhead wasn't so bad after all.

"Should I ask or-" Butch joked, sliding his sunglasses into place. He did know he was in the bed of an armored vehicle, not out on the Sahara.

Blossom rolled her rose irises, twisting in her seat to reach for her bag. When Mike pulled it further her eyes narrowed in annoyance once more. "Michael." She warned, her hand gesturing out asking him to comply with her.

"We changed the ringtone for a reason."

"Yes, and I would have changed it back if you hadn't somehow gotten Mitch to hack my phone and lock the option." Her attention shifted from Mike to her middle sister. "How did he do that? I didn't even know it was possible."

Buttercup shrugged in response, turning the vehicle in the direction of the park, the wonders of Main Street erecting itself before them. "To be honest, I haven't the faintest idea. I can only hack into your social media accounts. Nothing too grand."

The vocals started to sing once more.

"Oh for fuck's sake, just hand me the phone."

Mike shook his head, kicking the bag underneath his bench. "No can do Blossom. Took a blood oath and everything to not have you ever answer his calls again." Once again Buttercup and Bubbles changed the woman's name to 'dickhead'. Again, rather riveting twist.

Then a third time.

"Obviously, this is something important so I will ask once more Michael, please hand me my bag." Bubbles waved her sister off, telling Buttercup to raise the volume of whatever had come on over the speakers to drown out the sound of the phone. Blossom groaned and began climbing from her chair to obtain the bag under Mike's feet.

Bubbles stuck her leg out in a vain attempt to barricade her sister from the bag. "No."

"What are we twelve?"

Make it four times.

Buttercup stopped the van at the border of Main Street with the section of the park only accessible to employees. "Well boys, seems like we're at the park meaning peace the fuck out of my van. And Bloss, I swear you better not answer that phone. He's probably just asking for another fucking reference because he is a doucheturd."

"Elegant." Blossom groaned, glaring once more at Mike before dropping back into her seat conceding.

Buttercup turned in her seat to gesture towards the back doors of the van, "Adios, Ciao, Auf Weidershen, see ya. We have dates with buffalo wings on a cliff. Please exit the vehicle in an orderly fashion."

Blossom's phone chirped from underneath the bench. "That's probably Robin."

Glancing at her nails, Bubbles shook her head. "She can text one of us if it's important."

Climbing out of the bed of the vehicle, the three found themselves wandering down Main Street, weaving around families in matching t-shirts and children dragging walking balloon dinosaurs behind them. Boomer walked ahead of them, the blond's head sticking out in the crowd of people. Butch following behind him, hands shoved into the pockets of his uniform pants. He had ditched the ACU vest and hat while exiting the van. There was a small sub shop at the end of Main Street underneath the monorail track. Technically the shop wasn't even part of Main Street but digressing. Gripping onto the back of Boomer's light khaki bush shirt, Brick pulled the material – and in turn Boomer – in the direction of the shop. Not many tourists frequented the sub shop, especially when they had Margaritaville or Winston's Steak House. Hell, the tourists tended to choose Jamba Juice or Sunrio Tequila Bar and Grill before they went to the sub shop. It would give them as secluded an area to chat as they'd get in Jurassic World aside from commandeering a means to get from here back to his bungalow. Walking through the doors, Brick waved to the male behind the counter who immediately began crafting his usual sub – it felt weird to say that. His usual. He's never had a usual anything in his life yet he had a usual order from here and a majority of the other employee haunts. It was… weird…

His brothers tentatively stalked over to the glass, observing the options available. Brick glanced about the shop only one table had been claimed. Possibly one of the interns who manned the Gyrosphere. His hand dug into his bag of chips as he glanced up at the clock with a frown. Perfect, the kid would be gone soon and the sandwich maker usually hung out in the back until a customer came in. He'd be able to speak freely with his brothers.

The plan he had spent hours crafting to cover all bases had shifted (due to his brother's idiocy) needed to be reworked taking into consideration their assets and current positions. He hadn't been able to break into the laboratory, Michael never gave him an opening. He once gave what he deemed a decent amount of time before he would scope out the lab for weak points when Blossom had strolled into the room they commandeered for Mike's impromptu class, hair soaking wet. If Boomer had stuck with his intended position of a male skilled in IT and tried for the surveillance like they planned, Brick would have been in and out already. He wouldn't hold it over his brother's head. The dumbass thought he was doing what was best, even if he had been completely wrong.

He wouldn't hold it over his brother's head but that didn't mean Brick wouldn't give him shit for it every now and then.

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** BLOSSOM DON'T YOU ANSWER!

 **Subject:** Regarding Morebucks Corporation

Good afternoon Miss Utonium,

I had tried to call you earlier but it seems either you are currently unavailable. I called four times to be exact. Each time the call went to voicemail. I understand that being the Operations Manager's assistant can be a taxing job and at the moment you may be rather busy doing whatever it is the Operations Manager's assistant does.

I am emailing you in reference to an email sent to my attention the night prior. It is regarding the Morebucks Enterprises' foray into the business of cloning extinct dinosaur DNA to produce living creatures. A geneticist reached out to me about a job opening they have which was rather interesting. Interesting enough that I'd rather speak with you over the phone about it then via trivial back and forth nonsense. Numerous questions had been asked to establish my intelligence yet a limited amount struck me as peculiar.

When you have the time please call me back. I wish to discuss this urgent matter with you.

Dexter McPherson

* * *

 **To:** BLOSSOM DON'T YOU ANSWER!

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** RE: Regarding Morebucks Corporation

I apologize for not getting back to you earlier but I am swamped these next few days. As Operations Manager, the daily operations of the park fall onto my shoulders and as a previous employee of our wonderful park you are fairly aware this time of year is rather hectic with the designing of the newest asset. I am unsure when I will be able to sit down and properly speak with you over whatever this matter is – I am currently heading into a meeting right now but I appreciate your concern.

You must have reveled in the praise of your intelligence. How's Olga? Why don't you ask her for a reference this time?

* * *

 _Are you sure you want to delete this draft?_

 _Yes._

* * *

 **To:** BLOSSOM DON'T YOU ANSWER!

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** RE: Regarding Morebucks Corporation

Hello Dexter,

I apologize for not being able to speak with you this afternoon. I understand you have an important matter you wish to discuss with me. Presently, I am rather swamped and I am unsure as to when we would be able to speak personally. Since your departure from Jurassic World I have become the Operations Manager. As you may know, this time of year can be hectic with preparations that need to be made for next year. Currently I am heading to a meeting with the geneticists and am unable to speak with you. While your concern is noted, please understand these next two weeks are not good for me. Maybe we can schedule for later in the month? Or maybe you can reach out to my assistant? If you call my office you can speak with her.

If you are inquiring as to me being your reference once more, I am unsure if I will be able to speak with your company of desired employment any time soon.

I hope you are well,

Blossom Utonium

* * *

Should she have not sent that? Oh fuck, she shouldn't have sent that. Fuck, fuck, fuck, was that too rude? Too standoffish? She tried to take the high road after their break-up. She kept the animosity to a minimum even if his stupid face made her want to throw her microwave oven through her flat screen. Which she didn't by the way! She loved her microwave oven. She won the break-up thank you very much! He may have walked straight into Olga's arms – a smart, short, shrew of a ballerina. And that wasn't the break-up talking, she truly was a shrew. Dexter had moved on and used his position at Jurassic World and her naivety to advance his career and then after breaking her fucking heart had the audacity to ask for a reference to become a head geneticist at a different lab.

Apparently, her father's tutelage was not enough. Dexter wanted his position as well.

But she won the break-up! She was an independent woman, who was on top of her game, living in a badass apartment, and was surrounded by actual dinosaurs. Sending an email littered with the same smug/snide attitude showed the blatant opposite, didn't it? Wouldn't it look like he won the break-up, not her. She won the break-up dammit! Dammit, she won! She was promoted to Operations Manager as he so lovingly downplayed. He knew she was fucking Operations Manager. He had seen the photos Bubbles tagged her in the night their parents treated them to dinner for her promotion. It was just him being his usual – what was it Buttercup had called him again – doucheturd self.

She won the break-up!

Gripping her hair and tugging down, she glanced at her phone's screen that rested on the conference room's table. Was there a way to delete the email before the meeting began and Dexter checked his messages? Her phone pinged.

Shit.

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** BLOSSOM DON'T YOU ANSWER!

 **Subject:** RE RE: Regarding Morebucks Corporation

Miss Utonium,

You were promoted to Operations Manager? A belated congratulations is in order.

Concerning the matter I wish to discuss with you, it cannot be delayed. As my email states in the final sentence, this matter is of the utmost importance. It does not pertain to my need for a reference. My job at my laboratory is going swimmingly. At present, we are in discussions for an expansion. Simultaneously our laboratory is working on a new asset, something you at Jurassic World are quite aware of.

You understand that means I am quite busy myself.

Dexter McPherson

* * *

How far could she throw her phone?

* * *

 **To:** Mitch Mitchelson

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** S.O.S

What do I have to pay you in order to have a telephone number and an email address blocked from contacting me ever again before I leave my meeting?

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Mitch Mitchelson

 **Subject:** RE: S.O.S.

A date, tomorrow night. Just you, me, and a giant bowl of chifrijos.

* * *

 _Are you sure you want to delete this draft?_

 _Yes._

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Mitch Mitchelson

 **Subject:** RE: S.O.S.

Time and a half

* * *

 **To:** Mitch Mitchelson

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** RE RE: S.O.S.

Done.

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Mitch Mitchelson

 **Subject: R** E RE RE: S.O.S.

Wait and free food for the rest of the year!

* * *

 **To:** Mitch Mitchelson

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** RE RE RE RE: S.O.S.

Too late, time and a half starting now. Name is Dexter (last name). You have until I walk through the doors of my office.

Make it so.

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Brick Johnson

 **Subject:** Regarding Interview

I'm available tonight if you want to do the post-hire interview later.

* * *

 **To:** Brick Johnson

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** RE: Regarding Interview

I apologize I'm rather swamped tonight. Would either Monday night or Tuesday work?

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Brick Johnson

 **Subject:** RE RE: Regarding Interview

We're actually running drills all next week to test the girls. Mike was supposed to send you my plans once he approved them, nice to see he didn't.

* * *

 **To:** Brick Johnson

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** RE RE RE: Regarding Interview

No I haven't received your plans would you be able to forward them to me? I'll rearrange some of my schedule for I would like to be present if that's okay.

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Brick Johnson

 **Subject:** RE RE RE RE: Regarding Interview

 **Attached:** Plans (pdf)

That's no problem. How about tomorrow then?

* * *

 **To:** Brick Johnson

 **From:** Blossom Utonium

 **Subject:** RE RE RE RE RE: Regarding Interview

I typically host the interviews during a handler's dinner break and extend it an hour. I treat them to the hibachi restaurant on Main Street. You get paid to sit there, eat and, tell me what you do and don't like about the park. The two hour break doesn't start until you arrive at the restaurant.

* * *

 **To:** Blossom Utonium

 **From:** Brick Johnson

 **Subject:** RE RE RE RE RE RE: Regarding Interview

As much as I would love to get paid to eat while complaining about Mike and Beau, I'm actually allergic to fish: both the shelled variety and the non-shelled variety. Had shrimp tempura when I was ten and you would have thought I was the blowfish my Old Man ordered. Tend to stay away from hibachi grills.

That and tree nuts.

* * *

After her meeting, Blossom had headed to the Control Tower to check on the park. Mitch had been giving her the run down for the day. Her phone had chirped halfway through Mitch's description of the Gallimimus Valley. He gave her a wink and said he'd go back to stalking the park. She quickly responded to whoever had emailed her, initiating an electronic communication. Mitch let out a low sigh, gripping his soda cup and taking a long sip as he tried to ignore the small laugh Blossom let out. An "of course" muttered under her breath. After several long, quiet minutes - the only noise being the chirps of Blossom's phone and the noises the monitor displaying the theme park in its entirety made - Blossom pocketed her phone.

"Can you send me an overtime slip?" Mitch looked up at her questioningly as she plopped a baseball cap onto her head. Blossom after her meeting had changed out of her work attire - a smart white pencil skirt with a wine colored sleeveless blouse tucked in - into a pair of jeans shorts and a loose white t-shirt. This afternoon, she would be testing out rides for their safety and testing the operators/handlers on their presentation and demeanor. She always went 'incognito' to ensure the employees didn't recognize her and act differently because their boss was there. Really it was just an excuse for her to relax and enjoy the fact there was an amusement park housing living dinosaurs.

She sent him a soft smile as she grabbed the pass off of his desk. ("Why wait in line when I could pull this bad boy out") Her phone came out of the pocket once more and she quickly typed out a message.

"See ya later." She mumbled, eyes glued to the screen.

"I never got a chance to block Dexter." He called out after her, but Blossom's attention had been drawn to her phone.

Why would she need an overtime slip? Blossom had a spreadsheet she forwarded to Payroll at the end of ever pay period documenting the hours she worked.

* * *

Boomer opened the door to his apartment, tossing the keys to who knows where. Or more accurately who cared where. Today had been a long day – hell long week. Not only had he watched some younger worker almost get his hand bit off by Berserk (and Brick almost had to go into the paddock), then there was the excitement of not one but two successful live hunts. No longer did the girls need Brick to show them the ropes of hunting. He still observed but the girls were hunting on their own now. And now Brick laying a well – brick on them. He wanted to reinvent a new plan, start from scratch.

(Mainly due to Boomer blindly following what their dad proposed because for once he felt needed.)

A whole new plan to efficiently swipe a dinosaur. Brick asked to give him a few days to conceive a new effective strategy that wouldn't end them in jail - prison? Probably prison. Dinosaurs embryos cost a decent amount of money. A whole new plan because Boomer jumped at the first appreciative comment their dad made to him in years. Well maybe not appreciative; more the first time their dad seemed to be proud enough in him to be able to accomplish something difficult. He'd beat himself over his overzealous nature for possibly the rest of his existence. Tugging the shirt over his head, Boomer thought about one thing – turning on the jets in his jacuzzi tub to massage his back. Fuck, did he need that. He wasn't a corporate spy. He was a hacker. Why did he think he could do anything else besides hacking?

He had a new bottle of Grenadine. Could make himself a nice refreshing Shirley Temple. And no matter what Butch said, they weren't childish. Adults drank them to you know!

Okay so Jacuzzi, beverage, maybe some music – sounds like a marvelous night. He kicked his boots off and then his socks, letting his feet carry him over the cool wooden floor. The lights remaining off until he crossed the apartment to the kitchen area. Grabbing a Collins glass from the top cabinet, Boomer went to place the glass under the ice dispenser.

"Evening Boomer." Shit, no he'd have to sweep up the glass.

"Princess." He muttered, bending down to grab a small broom and dustpan from the cabinet under the sink. Lowering himself to the floor removed him from Princess' line of sight.

"Your brother is bothersome."

"I have two, you're going to have to specify." Boomer found himself saying, but he knew which one she meant. He had gotten several voicemails of the heiress bitching to him about the eldest Jojo not following through with the promises he made and ignoring her since her helicopter touched down on the island. His mailbox was currently full and he didn't have the energy to delete however many messages she had left.

Heels clicked on the wooden floor approaching the kitchen island. "I'm leaving in a week. I need an answer by then." Her head peaked out over the marble counter. Golden eyes narrowed. "I have something for him but alas I do not have access to the restricted area in which he decided to live. I wish you would deliver it to him. I'd prefer to avoid any headaches caused by him evading me. You seem adept enough to perform such a mundane task for me."

She then held out a phone to him. Begrudgingly, he placed his broom on the floor and accepted the device. A video had been paused on the screen. Clicking play he watched what looked like a teaser trailer. A male and female pair dressed in khaki bush shirts approached a pair of gargantuan metallic doors. The male even wore a khaki pith helmet. Did anyone still wear pith helmets? Except Hollywood actors portraying a person on an African safari prior to the 1940s? The woman wore a normal brown baseball cap. As they progressed, their backs facing the cameras, Boomer noticed the female pulling a long, dark curved object from her right pocket – holy shit that's a fossilized sickle claw.

A loud clank rang out before the two colossal doors slowly opened, a faint white light coming from the opening. The further the doors opened, the brighter the light became basking the pair in shadows. The words 'Morebucks Corporation presents' etched themselves onto the screen in red to contrast the now pure white background. Hm. A teaser for what- The strong jaw of a velociraptor snapped close as if trying to bite the viewer. Shit, he dropped the phone. When he looked back at the screen the teaser showed the following year in red before it faded to black.

"That was a raptor."

"Congrats, you seem to know your dinosaurs."

"That was a raptor." Holy shit, Morebucks Corporation had a raptor! He went to hand over the phone but she stood up instead. The Old Man really did it, he brought an extinct apex predator back to life.

"We've been booking tickets for the exhibit like crazy. Your brother either needs to finish what he started or face me. That thing died within six hours of us filming the clip."

* * *

He couldn't sleep. Not with his mind running in twelve different directions. His feet kicked against the sandy beaches that lead him around half of the island. Ahead of him, the glow of the near full moon reflected off the dark, glass windows of the employee tower; a pale white beacon calling out to lost handlers walking through the night.

Maybe he should have taken Blossom up on her offer. While the solidarity was an added plus for him to conceive his plans without running the risk of someone finding him out. That and the fact Princess didn't have access to his side of the park as opposed to if he lived in the employee tower. But sometimes, the silence would get to him. He was completely alone with his thoughts – certain thoughts he shouldn't be thinking. Just the other day he contemplated making a career out of raising the girls. He was conditioning his hair two days and found himself drafting a proposal for a stream to connect with the pond Bunny adored as well as some form of underground sewer to filter the water in the paddock.

The conditioner ended up in his eyes.

75 million years of instincts designed for a Velociraptor's survival in a primordial world and he wanted to filter their water supply. He made up as many reasons for why he ended up wasting his warm shower thinking up the world's dumbest pitch – well second dumbest pitch, he was living the first. The one he favored being that due to their artificial makeup, they needed to ensure no contaminants would affect the raptors. Billions of dollars went into crafting four of history's greatest huntresses. Even if he knew it was the furthest idea from the truth: that he may in fact actually care about the well being of the three little punks and Bunny.

And he may in fact enjoy the job he currently has.

* * *

 **I was watching the Everything Wrong With Jurassic World video while writing this and giggling.**

 **THEY RELEASED THE TRAILER FOR JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM AND IAN FUCKING MALCOLM IS BACK AND HE SAYS, "LIFE FINDS A WAY"! Even if the "uh" from the original quote in the middle is excluded. GUYS I LOVE IAN MALCOLM! (And Dr. Ellie Sattler and Dr. Alan Grant… but still…)**

 **THEY ALSO HAVE A CARNOTAURUS IN THE TRAILER! THEY WERE ALWAYS ONE OF MY FAVORITE DINOSAURS!**

 **Can I have the long-tailed macaques that they cloned in China? I will be their Jane Goodall.**

 **I didn't know what last name to use for Dexter (he doesn't have a canon last name) so this is what i came up with because I am unoriginal.**


End file.
